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HK should shorten Covid isolation period to five days, health expert suggests
Health expert Ho Pak-leung said Monday that Hong Kong’s self-quarantine period for people who have been infected with the coronavirus should be shortened to five days from the current seven days.
Speaking on a radio program this morning, the University of Hong Kong microbiologist said Hong Kong’s third dose vaccination rate has surpassed 80 percent, which could help reduce the incubation and infection period of Covid.
He said the quarantine reduction for patients isolated at home would be “pretty safe”.
Meanwhile, Ho also noted that it is not cost-effective for authorities to continue naming buildings in the territory for mandatory Covid testing.
He said there was no big difference between the rates of positive cases tested by mandatory testing and community testing, while the cases detected by the mandatory testing have been minimal among the total case tally.
The health expert added that the mandatory testing has had minimal effect on the epidemic and “is a waste of resources”.
He said the quarantine reduction for patients isolated at home would be “pretty safe”.
Meanwhile, Ho also noted that it is not cost-effective for authorities to continue naming buildings in the territory for mandatory Covid testing.
He said there was no big difference between the rates of positive cases tested by mandatory testing and community testing, while the cases detected by the mandatory testing have been minimal among the total case tally.
The health expert added that the mandatory testing has had minimal effect on the epidemic and “is a waste of resources”.
