- Hong Kong authorities have said they will allow other children who are being tested for COVID-19 to stay home
- Some families in Hong Kong were disillusioned with the harsh rules of COVID-19
- The Omicron wave now envelops the city, life-saving measures make life unbearable for most of its 7.4 million inhabitants.
- Clarification comes as the city announces a record of 10,000 cases daily
- Local hospitals are full of new cases.
HONG KONG: Hong Kong authorities have said they will allow other children who are being tested for COVID-19 to stay home, rather than be separated from their parents and hospitalized, following a public outcry from families across the city.
Some families in Hong Kong were disillusioned with the harsh rules of COVID-19 which saw even infants in some cases being taken from their parents and separated, forcing some families to leave the city.
Hong Kong has long had a bad history of suppressing coronavirus with the “dynamic zero” policy of COVID-19, in line with that of China.
But as the Omicron wave now envelops the city, life-saving measures make life unbearable for most of its 7.4 million inhabitants.
A Hong Kong Hospital official told Reuters by the end of Friday (Feb 25) that not all children with COVID-19 would have to go to the hospital.
“Generally, certified children who are in stable condition can rest at home. If there is a medical need for hospitalization, they will be arranged to receive treatment and care in childcare facilities in public hospitals,” the statement said.
It said it would seek to allow parents or caregivers who test positive for HIV to enter the same wards, but this does not always happen given the “overcrowded” child segregation facilities in public hospitals.
Clarification comes as the city announces a record of 10,000 cases daily on Friday, with some experts predicting 180,000 cases a day in March.
In the face of increasing pressure, Hong Kong has sought to further strengthen its own private and medical facilities.
Local hospitals are full of new cases. The universal test will be presented in due course with funding from China.
SOURCE……channelnewsasia