The Centre for Health Protection today urged the public to stay at home as the surge in COVID-19 cases continues.

The centre’s Communicable Disease Branch Head Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan made the appeal during a press briefing this afternoon and explained the difficulty in identifying everyone who had close contact with coronavirus patients who are more social.

“We are seeing more and more (COVID-19) cases in these few days, so the trend is still increasing.

“Although this situation is reflective of those (infected) over the past one or two weeks, it’s still worrying because we are seeing patients who have many social activities that (are) difficult to track and difficult to put their close contacts under quarantine.”

Dr Chuang emphasised that this wave of the virus has put a strain on Hong Kong’s ability to test, quarantine and hospitalise those with COVID-19.

“The testing capacity, the quarantine facilities, as well as the hospital capacity are reaching the limit.

“So if this trend continues, I think it would be very difficult for us to handle the situation, because only relying on quarantine measures - isolation of cases, quarantine of close contacts - would not work.”

She urged the public to help fight the virus by reducing all social activities and staying at home.

“This situation relies on the public’s participation - the co-operation of the general public and everyone.

“If we all stay at home for the coming one or two weeks and reduce all social activities - non-essential meetings or dining out - this will help.”