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Saturday, Feb 22, 2025
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'No funny business with rapid test results please'
Authorities warned those who were previously infected with Covid-19 to refrain from reporting their old positive rapid antigen test results in order to delay their third-jab obligation as the SAR yesterday saw 354 such reports among 505 infections.
The warning came after the vaccine pass' third and final stage took effect on Tuesday. In this stage, anyone who wishes to enter restaurants and other regulated premises - such as bars and supermarkets - have to be triple jabbed.
Only double-jabbed people who contracted Covid during the past five months are entitled to delay their third dose for six months.
However, Centre for Health Protection controller Edwin Tsui Lok-kin said yesterday that among those who submitted positive rapid test results over the past few days, up to 30 percent tested negative via the more sensitive polymerase chain reaction tests - much more than the usual deviation of 7 percent.
The center suspects some of the positive rapid test results came from those who contracted Covid in February and March but had chosen not to declare their infection at the time.
Tsui acknowledges these people are likely concerned about the safety of undergoing a third dose when they had contracted Covid recently, saying: "I'd like to stress that it has been several months since February and March. If you have had two doses, even if you were infected, it's very safe for you to take the third shot."
He warned it is a criminal offense to give misleading information to health officers. Indeed, offenders face up to six months in jail and a HK$10,000 fine. In April, three people were arrested for providing fake positive rapid test results on the Department of Health's website.
As for the 505 cases yesterday, the center's head of communicable diseases, Chuang Shuk-kwan, said 34 were imported and 471 locally transmitted.
An 88-year-old unvaccinated woman died, taking the city's fifth-wave toll to 9,163.
The Central bar cluster reported four more cases, bringing the tally to 31 while the Iron Fairies bar saw 15 more infected, taking the cluster total to 49. The Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre also reported its cluster grew by five.
All five are residents of Lee Wing Building in Kowloon City, where one of the infected HKCEC staffers live.
Among the latest cases, 39 were reported by schools, with 24 students and 15 employees across 35 schools infected.
Separately, Secretary for Food and Health Sophia Chan Siu-chee told the Legislative Council yesterday that authorities have given over 100,000 traditional Chinese medicine packs to more than 30,000 Covid patients, adding HK$545 million has been allocated for 70 medical studies, including seven related to long Covid.
Only double-jabbed people who contracted Covid during the past five months are entitled to delay their third dose for six months.
However, Centre for Health Protection controller Edwin Tsui Lok-kin said yesterday that among those who submitted positive rapid test results over the past few days, up to 30 percent tested negative via the more sensitive polymerase chain reaction tests - much more than the usual deviation of 7 percent.
The center suspects some of the positive rapid test results came from those who contracted Covid in February and March but had chosen not to declare their infection at the time.
Tsui acknowledges these people are likely concerned about the safety of undergoing a third dose when they had contracted Covid recently, saying: "I'd like to stress that it has been several months since February and March. If you have had two doses, even if you were infected, it's very safe for you to take the third shot."
He warned it is a criminal offense to give misleading information to health officers. Indeed, offenders face up to six months in jail and a HK$10,000 fine. In April, three people were arrested for providing fake positive rapid test results on the Department of Health's website.
As for the 505 cases yesterday, the center's head of communicable diseases, Chuang Shuk-kwan, said 34 were imported and 471 locally transmitted.
An 88-year-old unvaccinated woman died, taking the city's fifth-wave toll to 9,163.
The Central bar cluster reported four more cases, bringing the tally to 31 while the Iron Fairies bar saw 15 more infected, taking the cluster total to 49. The Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre also reported its cluster grew by five.
All five are residents of Lee Wing Building in Kowloon City, where one of the infected HKCEC staffers live.
Among the latest cases, 39 were reported by schools, with 24 students and 15 employees across 35 schools infected.
Separately, Secretary for Food and Health Sophia Chan Siu-chee told the Legislative Council yesterday that authorities have given over 100,000 traditional Chinese medicine packs to more than 30,000 Covid patients, adding HK$545 million has been allocated for 70 medical studies, including seven related to long Covid.
