Health authorities confirmed a review of whether to tighten social distancing measures over the concern of daily cases reaching 10,000.

“It is unreliable to predict the trend of daily cases with its increasing speed,” said Chuang Shuk-kwan, Head of the Communicable Disease Branch of the Center for Health Protection of the Department of Health.

“If the cases keep increasing, the government can tighten the social distancing measures again,” she said.

Among the 14 deaths aged from 45 to 97, only four have received three doses of Covid vaccines. Nine deaths are believed to have been related to Covid.

Besides, six doctors were confirmed infected with Covid after joining a wedding feast on August 20 and are now under treatment, with no patients found to be close contacts.

“Citizens are showing fatigue under the long-term epidemic,” Chuang said.

“It is of importance for citizens to abide by the disease-prevention rules, reducing group gathering and wearing masks,” noted Chuang.

Over 100 schools reported infected cases, including 27 schools last week, according to Larry Lee Lap-yip, Chief Manager (Integrated Clinical Services) of the Hospital Authority.

Kindergartens are seeing an increase in cases, according to Lee.

It is believed that the cause is partly that primary and secondary schools are currently on holiday, while kindergartens have a shorter holiday, he said.

Public hospitals now accommodate 2,183 Covid-19 patients, including 328 newly admitted, 39 in critical conditions, and 32 with severe symptoms.

Health services for non-emergency will be affected more in public hospitals, Lee said, calling on private hospitals to accept patients.