(To watch the full media session with sign language interpretation, click here.)

Chief Executive Carrie Lam today said the social distancing measures currently in place will be maintained until June 30 and she will convene a high-level meeting to seek experts’ advice on anti-epidemic measures.

Mrs Lam was speaking prior to attending an Executive Council meeting this morning.

The Government’s move came amid recent increases in COVID-19 cases.

“We have witnessed an increase in the number of positive (COVID-19) cases since the beginning of June - that is this month - which gets us a little bit concerned.

“And as a result of the increase in positive cases and since we have allowed confirmed cases - that is infected people - to stay at home where appropriate for home isolation, it is only natural or inevitable that some of the monitoring indicators will also go up, for example, the viral load in the sewage.”

The Chief Executive noted that it is premature to speak of a new round of the epidemic but added she will meet experts on the next steps of action.

“It is a bit too early to say that we are now confronting a sixth wave of the COVID-19 epidemic because it needs a lot more indicators in order to confirm the situation.

“So I am convening a meeting with my experts later today to listen to their advice and to see what other measures we have to put in place.”

Mrs Lam also said that with immediate effect, all of the infection cases identified via rapid antigen tests will be verified by nucleic acid tests.