One of the passengers sitting on the left takes a picture using a mobile phone as they sail through Victoria Harbour on the Star Ferry in Hong Kong on Jan 23, 2022. (LOUISE DEELMOTTE / AFP)

HONG KONG - The Hong Kong government has set aside an additional 1,000 hotel rooms to quarantine close contacts of COVID-19 patients after a recent surge in demand for quarantine facilities.

In a statement issued on Monday night, the government said Dorsett Mongkok, Hong Kong; Grand City Hotel and Dorsett Tsuen Wan, Hong Kong will serve as quarantine hotels for close contacts starting this month until April.

Dorsett Mongkok, Hong Kong, Grand City Hotel and Dorsett Tsuen Wan, Hong Kong were earlier designated as quarantine hotels for inbound travelers, but will now serve city residents who are close contacts of coronavirus patients

"Quarantine is an important and effective measure to prevent the virus from spreading in the community,” a government spokesman was quoted as saying in the statement.   

Dorsett Mongkok, Hong Kong, Grand City Hotel and Dorsett Tsuen Wan, Hong Kong were earlier designated as quarantine hotels for inbound travelers, but will now serve city residents who are close contacts of infected persons. 

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With the additional 1,000 rooms from the three hotels, the SAR now has a total of 6,200 rooms set aside for "close contacts and their household contacts,” the government said. 

It earlier activated the Penny's Bay Quarantine Centre, the Lei Yue Mun Park and Holiday Village, Junior Police Call Permanent Activity Centre in Pat Heung, Sai Kung Outdoor Recreation Centre and four hotels to quarantine those who came into close contact with coronavirus patients.

“We will closely monitor and review the situation of various quarantine facilities every day and make timely adjustments if necessary, so that quarantine facilities could be used for persons with higher risks to the community,” the spokesman added.

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