The Centre for Health Protection today said it is investigating 3,172 additional locally acquired COVID-19 cases, of which 449 were identified through nucleic acid tests and 2,723 via rapid antigen tests. Separately, 111 imported cases were detected. Furthermore, seven residential care homes for the elderly and five for disabled people logged 13 cases involving their residents. The Hospital Authority reported that 20 patients passed away in public hospitals. According to a preliminary analysis, the cause of death for nine patients was related to COVID-19, while that of the remaining 11 patients was unrelated. It also registered eight more critical cases, bringing the number of patients in critical condition to 93. Separately, to align with the Government’s cancellation of issuing isolation orders from tomorrow, the authority will, starting from the same day, announce at 8.30am and 1pm the information of general out-patient clinics (GOPC) quota reserved for COVID-19
(To watch the full press briefing with sign language interpretation, click here.)
The Centre for Health Protection today said recovered COVID-19 patients who have received a vaccine before the recommended duration may not require a second dose.
At a press briefing this afternoon, the centre’s Controller Dr Ronald Lam cited the vaccination recommendations for recovered COVID-19 patients which were earlier issued by the Joint Scientific Committee on Emerging & Zoonotic Disease and Scientific Committee on Vaccine Preventable Diseases together with the Expert Advisory Panel to the Chief Executive.
“In gist, based on scientific data, the antibodies or immunity resulting from past infection could last from six to nine months.
“So the recommendation based on such scientific data is to recommend those recovered patients, if they wish to take a vaccine, they can choose BioNTech, just for one dose as a kind of booster, at least 90 days after recovery.
“Based on the National Health Commission’s recommendation from the Mainland, for those who are recovered, they could opt for the Sinovac vaccine on or after six months after they have recovered.
“Before these recommendations were formulated, patients of a couple of these cases may have received a vaccine before the recommended duration - either for BioNTech, for example, before 90 days after they have recovered or been discharged from hospitals, or for Sinovac before six months after they have recovered and been discharged. So for these cases there is no need for them to repeat another dose of vaccine.”
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