Worshipers queue up to pray during the Lunar New Year celebrations at the Man Mo temple in Hong Kong, Feb 1, 2022. The celebration marks the Year of the Tiger in the Chinese Zodiac calendar. (VINCENT YU / AP)

HONG KONG – The government of Hong Kong has strongly urged residents to reduce social activities including gatherings among families and stay at home in view of the deteriorating COVID-19 situation in Hong Kong and high number of new cases recorded daily. 

A series of measures will be taken to immediately enhance the city's capacity in guarding against the epidemic and containing further spread of the virus, the government said late on Thursday. 

The government said the city's current epidemic development is of grave concern. Over the past week, the number of cases increased from 115 on Jan 28 to 121 on Thursday, while the number of samples that tested positive under sewage surveillance has climbed from 11 on Jan 28 to 21 on Thursday across the city. 

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Different indications show that various silent transmission chains are still active in the community. It is worrying that the transmission chains show signs of spreading to various districts with an increasing trend of cases to be recorded, according to a government press release. 

The government urged residents to conduct tests early whenever they consider themselves at higher risk or show any mild symptoms

Given the incredibly high transmissibility of the Omicron mutant strain, especially its BA.2 form, which clearly involves short-range airborne transmission, there is now a higher possibility of an exponential increase in infections, said the government. There is also a continuous stream of local cases involving the more lethal Delta strain, it added. 

Despite the start of the fifth wave of outbreak in December, public transport patronage figures show that the people flow within Hong Kong has only dropped 20 percent in the recent period as compared with regular days. 

In addition, residents were still having many social activities during the Chinese New Year. The government expects that the number of infected cases may show a significant or even exponential increase after the festive period. 

The government urged residents to conduct tests early whenever they consider themselves at higher risk or show any mild symptoms. 

The government has been working with testing service contractors to enhance the testing capacity, aiming to significantly raise the daily maximum capacity of public and private laboratories from 100,000 to 200,000 tests before mid-February. 

It will closely monitor cases and sewage surveillance results to conduct operations under the restriction-testing declaration and compulsory testing notice. 

The government will also distribute a large number of COVID-19 rapid test kits to residents in high-risk districts for them to conduct self-tests. 

The Civil Service Bureau announced the same day that bureaus and departments will implement the special work arrangements from Friday till Feb 11. The government urged employers to follow suit and arrange for their staff to work from home. 

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The government had earlier gazetted the extension of existing social distancing measures till Feb 17 and announced that all kindergartens, primary, secondary and private schools offering a non-formal curriculum would suspend face-to-face classes and on-campus activities until Feb 21. 

A funding application will be submitted to the Legislative Council Finance Committee as soon as possible with an aim to activate the sixth round of Anti-epidemic Fund, the release added.