On January 22, 2020, Hong Kong recorded the first novel coronavirus case. Since the beginning of the long years of anti-epidemic, Hong Kong people have rushed to buy anti-epidemic supplies, restrictions on gatherings, WHF, quarantine at Penny's Bay, ban on dine-in in the evening market, vaccinations Vaccines, customs clearance... have become everyone's daily words. Once, everyone thought that the new crown epidemic would pass as soon as possible like SARS, and return to normal life, becoming the New Year's wish, Mid-Autumn Festival wish, Christmas wish of the public... ..However, a year has passed and Hong Kong people have not been able to get out of the "epidemic" and "removed the mask" to meet each other.
The government often prevents imported and leaked cases from abroad, resulting in waves of epidemics. Among them, the singing and dancing group is still the largest infected group so far, with a total of 732 people infected.
From October 2020 to May 2021, Hong Kong people experienced the fourth wave of the epidemic that lasted for more than half a year. After that, the community cases were generally "zeroed". Hong Kong also launched a vaccination program. The end of the epidemic is like dawn.
The government began to gradually relax the distancing measures for various communities, and actively discussed customs clearance with the mainland. However, the epidemic broke out again at the end of last year, and customs clearance was again indefinite.
Today, entering the second anniversary of the epidemic, it is also the fifth wave of the outbreak.
The following will review with you the hardships of the Hong Kong people in the past year to "fight the epidemic". Looking back, I hope to get out of the "epidemic situation" as soon as possible.
[One of a series of reports on the second anniversary of the anti-epidemic]
Extended reading: Two years of anti-epidemic | The first unidentified case is found in the flight attendant group Xiao Jieheng sticks to his belief: hope to survive the epidemic
▼A total of 732 people in the singing and dancing group have been diagnosed, making it the largest group in Hong Kong▼
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A total of 732 people in the singing and dancing group have been infected with the virus, which is still the largest group
Looking back at the past four waves of the epidemic and the fifth wave so far, the singing and dancing group is still the largest infected group so far, with a total of 732 people infected, followed by the URSUS Fitness gym group, followed by bars and bands.
As for the fifth wave of the epidemic, which is currently under severe conditions, a Cathay Pacific flight attendant was diagnosed after returning to Hong Kong and infected her mother and brother who lived with her. Groups continue to spread, involving multiple venues.
A total of 51 people have been infected so far, forming one of the ten groups.
70% of the cases are local infections, 20% of which are cases of unknown origin
As of January 16, a total of 13,555 new coronary pneumonia cases were recorded in Hong Kong. From the classification, imported cases accounted for 29.61% of the total number of cases, and over 70% of the remaining cases were local infections, including cases of unknown origin, possible local cases and imported related cases .
Among them, cases of unknown origin accounted for 23.33%.
Import-related cases have soared since the end of December. According to the Centre for Health Protection, from January 3 to January 16, a total of 64 cases were epidemiologically related to imported cases.
Reflecting the fifth wave of the outbreak, most cases were also caused by quarantine-free crew members who brought the virus into the community.
Hong Kong has experienced five waves of the epidemic so far. Under the epidemic, Hong Kong people who love to travel cannot travel abroad, and they have switched to activities such as hiking, camping, and staying in hotels.
However, traveling to other places is still the most ardent expectation of Hong Kong people. The Hong Kong government has also worked with the Singapore government to prepare a "tourism bubble" and strive for "customs clearance" with the mainland.
However, due to the repeated epidemics in many places and in Hong Kong, the hope has not been fulfilled so far, and there is still no light in traveling abroad.
Singapore's tourism bubble is postponed for the second time due to different anti-epidemic strategies between the two places
The Hong Kong government has repeatedly prepared with the Singapore government for a "tourism bubble", which was originally scheduled to be implemented on November 22, 2020. Passengers must undergo a virus test mutually recognized by the two places within 72 hours before departure and obtain a negative result, and must confirm before departure. No travel outside of Singapore or Hong Kong for 14 days.
However, at that time, because Hong Kong was experiencing the peak of the fourth wave of the epidemic, the number of local cases with unknown origins increased sharply, which caused the "tourism bubble" to be extended to May 26 last year.
By May, the fourth wave of the epidemic in Hong Kong was roughly "zeroed out", and the public thought that customs clearance was possible, but a new wave of epidemics broke out in Singapore, and the plan was postponed again for the second time.
Subsequently, the Singapore government decided to change its anti-epidemic strategy and adopted the policy of "coexisting with the virus".
On August 19 of the same year, the Hong Kong government suddenly announced that, considering the differences in the prevention and control strategies of the epidemic between the two places, it decided not to further discuss the bilateral "air tourism bubble".
▼The Hong Kong-Singapore Tourism Bubble Finally "Blasted"▼
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In addition to the "tourism bubble", customs clearance with the mainland is another major goal of the Hong Kong government.
Since September last year, the two places have held several docking meetings. Mainland epidemic prevention and control expert groups also visited Hong Kong in mid-November. The Hong Kong government also launched the "Hong Kong Health Code" in December to facilitate citizens to connect with the Mainland's epidemic prevention measures during customs clearance. .
However, due to the fifth wave of the outbreak in Hong Kong at the end of December, the customs clearance plan was postponed again.
However, Chief Executive Carrie Lam pointed out that the Hong Kong government has made a lot of preparations for customs clearance. Since it has not been implemented, it cannot be disclosed to the public, but he emphasized that the departments of the two places are ready. Once the epidemic is under control, the central government will support the gradual customs clearance of China and Hong Kong. Confidence and joint efforts create the necessary conditions for customs clearance.
▼Citizens go north to quarantine early for the Lunar New Year▼
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Discharge conditions and case classification are comparable to those in mainland China
In addition, in order to strive for customs clearance with the mainland, the Hong Kong government announced in October that it will tighten the discharge arrangements for confirmed patients, and the discharge conditions are on par with the mainland.
The new requirements stipulate that all recovered patients will be arranged to go to designated isolation locations for 14-day isolation management and health monitoring in a "closed-loop management" and point-to-point manner after they are discharged from the hospital.
In the new year, the government has also changed the classification method of confirmed cases. In line with the mainland, cases with symptoms and symptoms are called "confirmed", and the rest are classified as "asymptomatic infections".
In addition, some cases that have been diagnosed and tested positive again but with low viral load are also classified as "return positive" cases.
Fifth wave (December 2021 to present)
Looking back, before the fifth wave of the epidemic, there were sporadic cases in the local area, but no signs of outbreaks in the community.
However, in late December, the Omicron variant entered the Hong Kong community with two quarantine-free crew members.
The chain of transmission caused by Cathay Pacific’s flight shortage led to the outbreak of small-scale transmission at “Mongolia Tower” in Festival City. The group involved drug landlords and clinic nurses, which once made Tuen Mun suspected of a hidden transmission chain, and a total of 16 people have been infected with the virus so far. .
▼Last year at 12.30 Mochizuki Tower was closed and the staff of the Center for Health Protection came to the site for sampling▼
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▼On January 12th, Tuen Mun reappeared in line to detect people and dragons▼
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The other group was caused by a 28-year-old Cathay Pacific flight attendant who was diagnosed after returning to Hong Kong from the United States and infected her mother and brother who lived with her.
His mother would go to the Victoria Park in Causeway Bay to dance "square dancing" with many people from time to time, which made the transmission chain exponentially increase, and the sixth generation of transmission appeared.
The case involved diners at Lu Tianyuan Restaurant, a church of foreign domestic helpers and employees of CITIC Securities.
One of the groups, Queen Shiya, the Prince of Rongyuan Tea Shop, went to the birthday party of more than 100 people held by Hong Weimin, the People's Congress of Hong Kong, which caused a big wave of implication. , and therefore must be admitted to a quarantine center.
During the fifth wave of the epidemic, the Department of Health also classified clusters of cases caused by crew members as "imported related cases".
Zhang Zhujun, director of the Infectious Diseases Division of the Centre for Health Protection, once explained that most of the current cases are also locally infected, and they are listed as imported related cases only to explain the source of the cases.
▼1.5 Department of Health to DIVA Lutianyuan Restaurant Chef Survey▼
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The Omicron variant virus that has flowed into Hong Kong is highly airborne. In the early stage of the fifth wave of the outbreak, vertical transmission has already occurred in three buildings.
In addition, there are also some cases where the source has not been found, and there are suspected invisible transmission chains in the community. The government once again announced that social distancing measures will be tightened from January 7 to be tightened from the 7th of this month, including the cancellation of many large-scale events, restaurants at 6 p.m. After the ban on dine-in, etc., citizens once again have to spend the Lunar New Year under the ban.
▼1.5 Chief Executive Carrie Lam announced the tightening of epidemic prevention measures▼
▼On January 14, the government announced that the ban on dine-in in the evening market was extended to February 3 on the third day of the new year▼
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▼London restaurant is expected to ban dine-in in the evening market for two weeks and lose 4 million yuan in business▼
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Although the transmission chain of flight attendant mothers has gradually declined recently, there have been many new transmission chains in the community, and more cases with unknown origins have appeared.
The chain of transmission included a returning Pakistani woman who was quarantined at the Seaview Silka Hotel. She was infected by someone on the same level at the end of the quarantine period and brought the virus into the community, causing the Omicron variant virus "BA.2" to enter the community for the first time.
Its infection cluster has continued to expand. As of January 19, a total of 16 people have been infected, and some cases involve several middle schools.
In addition, a Little Boss pet store clerk and customer were successively diagnosed with Delta AY.127, and the hamster in the store was also infected and tested positive for the virus.
The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department will temporarily store about 2,000 hamsters or small animals in the shop and the shop's warehouse in Tai Po Tai Ping Industrial Centre.
Inspired by a lively discussion in the community, the number of confirmed cases in this group has also increased recently, showing that the Omicron epidemic is not over yet, and Hong Kong is at any time attacked by the Delta virus, which is quite transmitted from animals to humans.
Although the medical community has not confirmed whether the highly transmissible Omicron virus is less severe, but looking at the new wave of epidemics, there have been nearly 100 imported or locally confirmed cases, and no serious cases have been reported so far.
▼1.18 Causeway Bay Little Boss had hamsters and environmental samples were positive▼
▼1.18 AFCD personnel destroy animals at Little Boss in Causeway Bay▼
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▼On January 19, the Agriculture and Fisheries Department went to Mong Kok for the Little Boss culling test▼
Fourth wave (October 1, 2020 to May 2021)
As many as 26 groups appeared in the fourth wave of the epidemic, including the most familiar "song and dance group" with the most people infected since the epidemic, and the K11 trendy restaurant group.
In early October, the virus from India and Nepal was introduced to Hong Kong, and many people who had visited the bar "China Secret" were diagnosed one after another.
Afterwards, several Thai women were diagnosed with the virus in the Haoli Building in Tsim Sha Tsui. One of them also visited "China Secret". The authorities listed them as the same group, with a total of 15 people infected.
▼China Secret Environment▼
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On November 19 of the same year, Wu Wang Jingyi, a wealthy businesswoman, was diagnosed with the disease. She visited the "Starlight Dance Club" in Wan Chai and was revealed to be infected after dancing.
The authorities investigated and found that the group involved multiple dance venues, and it evolved into a super chain of transmission, involving celebrities in the city, executives of listed companies, etc. It became the largest group in Hong Kong. As of December 30, a total of 732 people in the group were diagnosed.
The "United Hospital 2D ward cluster" also appeared for the first time in a public hospital. It was suspected that airborne transmission caused an outbreak in the ward. A total of 12 patients and 9 medical staff were diagnosed in the cluster, and 3 patients died.
▼The 2D ward of the United Hospital has an outbreak. A total of 21 patients and staff have been diagnosed, which is the largest group in the hospital▼
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In addition to hospitals, the epidemic has spread to the working class, and groups have appeared in multiple sites.
Among them, the Lam Tin Tunnel site in Tseung Kwan O has a second outbreak cluster, with a total of 29 cases in the first cluster and a total of 50 confirmed cases in the second cluster.
The remaining site groups include the LOHAS Park/Kai Tak site (74 cases), the Central Kowloon Route group (37 cases), and the Hong Kong International Airport Third Runway site (33 cases).
Several outbreaks occurred at the site, and the government subsequently included site workers in a group that required regular compulsory inspections.
▼Tseung Kwan O Lam Tin Tunnel site second outbreak group▼
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▼Hong Kong International Airport third runway site group, a total of 33 confirmed cases▼
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The fourth wave fell slowly, and by mid-January 2021, the number of cases picked up again.
At that time, the confirmed cases were concentrated in the areas of Yau Ma Tei and Jordan. Among them, "20-26 New Reclamation Street" became an "epidemic building", and many people were diagnosed.
On January 23, 2021, the government cited Chapter 599J of the Prevention and Control of Disease Regulation for the first time to make a declaration of restriction and testing, and the areas between Gansu Street, Nanjing Street, Fortress Street and Wusong Street were designated as restricted areas.
▼On January 23, the government cited Chapter 599J for the first time, and the area around Jordan was listed as a "restricted area"▼
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In February of the same year, the infection cluster at K11 Musea "Famous Food Restaurant" in Tsim Sha Tsui caused a big wave of implication.
The first confirmed case went to a restaurant for lunch on February 18 and became ill on February 22. It is a case of unknown origin.
Since then, employees and diners who have been to the restaurant between the 18th and 19th have been diagnosed, and transmission is suspected.
Ming Chao Restaurant was once accused of having lower fresh air than the license standard, and K11 Group immediately terminated the relevant tenant contract.
Later, an employee of Cartier, another store in the mall, was diagnosed with the virus. The Center for Health Protection stated that due to concerns about hidden transmission in the mall, it issued a mandatory testing announcement, requiring people working in the mall to be tested for the virus, and the mall was closed for 6 days.
▼A total of 57 cases in the K11 MUSEA famous trendy restaurant group▼
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The "Ursus Fitness" fitness center in Sai Ying Pun broke out in March, and the patients involved people from different industries and sectors.
As the number of cluster cases continues to increase, the government has expanded the scope of tracking and required mandatory testing of all fitness studio staff in Hong Kong to cut off the chain of transmission.
A total of 155 people in the group have been infected, which is the second largest infected group after the "singing and dancing group" since the epidemic.
▼Ursus Fitness in Sai Ying Pun ▼
▼On March 13, the government opened Robinson Road in Mid-levels for the first time▼
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The fourth wave of the epidemic gradually subsided after half a year. Since April 23, confirmed cases of unknown local origin have temporarily disappeared.
Government expert adviser Yuan Guoyong also announced on May 29 that the fourth wave of the epidemic has come to an end for the time being, and the number of local cases has reached "zero", but warned that the fifth wave "is likely to appear".
Following this, some social distancing measures have been gradually relaxed in Hong Kong, but the restrictions on gatherings that have lasted for a long time have not been significantly eased. The government has actively discussed customs clearance with the mainland. At the end of December, the fifth wave of the epidemic broke out. , customs clearance is temporarily put on hold.
Omicron.
1.16｜A pet shop salesperson contracted Delta’s source of unknown quarantine hotel outbreak Omicron│Dakengdong testing center deserted Dongmanlou residents expect to reduce the New Year’s party Omicron｜Cathay Pacific issued bonus incentives to participate in closed-loop duty flight 4 times and can get up to nearly 100,000 yuan Omicron│The New Year's Eve Flower Market is the first to cancel the transfer of flower farmers to ground shops and "live live" to sell orchids. Liang Zhuowei: Omicron's transmission power is strong and cannot be zero infection due to injections.
