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HONG KONG – For a group of Thai Thai in the city, dancing without a care in the world has proven to be quite contagious, especially when they remove their masks and mingle in close proximity to others.
A group linked to at least 21 dance clubs in Hong Kong has seen 250 patients affected by Covid-19, including a growing list of prominent women such as billionaire Rossana Wang Gaw and Mrs. Nancy Chiu, wife of David Chiu, the owner of Cable. TV and president of the Far East Consortium.
However, the rapidly expanding cluster may not be the cause of the fourth wave.
Dr Leung Chi Chiu from the Hong Kong Medical Association told The Straits Times that he believes the fourth wave came shortly after the third wave subsided in early September, as the measures softened before the will eliminate local transmission.
The respiratory specialist pointed out that the government made the decision under financial pressure and because people were tired of social distancing.
Along with the festivities in mid-fall and the double ninth in October, it was a recipe for “excessive mixing and social gatherings” that led to more local outreach, Dr. Leung said.
Infections rebounded from mid-September to October, and when November rolled around, there were more than 30 local cases in the first two weeks of the month.
“Due to the delay in instituting control measures, the increase in the number of community broadcasts led to an over-broadcasting event among dance club attendees,” said Dr. Leung.
Hong Kong on Wednesday (Nov 25) recorded 85 confirmed cases, including one imported case. The source of infection for 16 of the 84 local cases is unknown.
Another 60 people test positive after preliminary tests, but have not been included as confirmed cases. The city now has 5,866 cases and 108 deaths.
Of the 84 local infections, 63 were related to the dance club group. Dance clubs function as a mix of dance studios and party rooms, where performances can be held and food and drinks are served.
“Even if it closes all dance facilities, that would not be enough because this activity only constitutes a small part of the total activities involved (in Covid-19),” said Dr. Leung, adding that the dancers would have come into contact with others from different strata in the last three weeks.
“We are going to see not only those who come out of the incubation period but also the second and third generations in the coming weeks,” he warned.
The escalation of the pandemic has already spoiled the Singapore-Hong Kong travel bubble, where the first flights were scheduled for November 22.
The Hong Kong government on Tuesday ordered bars, pubs, nightclubs and saunas to close again starting Thursday for a week, a decision that angered many in the food and beverage industry who feel the move is unfair as no groups linked to the sector have yet been registered. detected.
Industry players have said that as many as half of the 1,400 licensed bars are at risk of doubling, while some larger restaurants may also face the same fate, as banquets must be capped at 40 people as of Thursday.
Beyond the stricter rules and forced testing of those who have visited dance clubs, Dr. Leung believes that the government must quickly limit a wide range of activities to control the situation.
For example, civil servants must work from home now so that the private sector can follow them. Face-to-face classes should be stopped and non-essential religious, recreational and sporting activities involving crowds, especially those indoors, should be suspended.
“If you want to contain a large forest fire that involves multiple points, you must contain the spread of the fire, as well as try to put out the fires that are burning,” Dr. Leung noted.
He warned that if the health facilities here are overwhelmed, the pandemic could “get out of control” and “that will not be resolved until we have the vaccines available.”
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