Hong Kong to resume normalcy as epidemic recedes: Carrie Lam

HONG KONG, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Carrie Lam said on Tuesday that the COVID-19 epidemic in Hong Kong has been on a downward trend, allowing it to return to normalcy.

Lam told the press ahead of an executive council meeting that the epidemic situation in Hong Kong has stabilized recently with the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases per day maintaining three digits. The number of confirmed cases recorded on April 25 fell by more than half compared with 10 days ago.

Lam said that as the epidemic continues to recede in Hong Kong, schools have resumed classes in phases and the first stage of relaxation of social distancing measures has begun.

The HKSAR government will consider taking further measures in May, including the second stage of the relaxation of social distancing measures and the reopening of secondary schools after the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education exam, the university entrance test, is over, she said.

However, the vaccination rates of the elderly and children are not satisfying, Lam said, adding that about 400,000 people in these two groups have not received their first shot of COVID-19 vaccine, which is worrying. She urged them to get vaccinated as soon as possible.

When asked whether Hong Kong will still conduct the compulsory universal testing, Lam said that the HKSAR government will assess the measures by constantly reviewing the epidemic situation and will announce it to the public in due course.

Lam also said that the HKSAR government will mainly use two or three community isolation facilities aided by the central authorities, rather than opening them all, to ensure Hong Kong can cope with it in case of a new wave of epidemic.

On Tuesday, Hong Kong registered 205 new COVID-19 cases by nucleic acid tests, and 142 additional positive cases through self-reported rapid antigen tests, official data showed.