Residents line up to get tested for COVID-19 in Tseung Kwan O district on Feb 25, 2022. (CALVIN NG / CHINA DAILY)

Experts advised patients waiting for quarantine facilities to prioritize disinfection and social distancing while closely watching their health.

They also proposed on Friday that the government identify those without ideal home quarantine conditions and send them to facilities soon, while better utilizing private medical resources to assist home-isolated patients.

The experts also proposed on Friday that the government identify those without ideal home quarantine conditions and send them to facilities soon, while better utilizing private medical resources to assist home-isolated patients

Earlier on Tuesday, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said that because of the shortage of quarantine and treatment facilities, about 30,000 COVID-19 patients were still waiting at home for admission to hospitals or isolation facilities.

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There are also numerous close contacts and their family members undergoing home-quarantine, under the government’s StayHomeSafe Scheme, which was launched on Feb 8.

In an online video, Dr Rex Lau Wing Kong urged patients to dine separately from family members, constantly disinfect their toilets, and closely monitor signs of health deterioration, such as chest pain, difficulty breathing, and a persistent fever.

He also reminded residents to carefully monitor the situation of non-vaccinated family members and vulnerable groups like children and older adults.

Virologist Jin Dong-yan of the University of Hong Kong said that although the government has ramped up efforts to build isolation facilities with the nation’s help, the construction will still take time.

He said he hopes residents stay calm during the waiting process and constantly take rapid antigen tests to monitor their health.

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Jin also advised the government to prioritize those who have elders and children at home or who live in a small space, when receiving patients in quarantine facilities.

Many residents say that the government’s anti-pandemic hotlines are often busy or not answered.

David Lam Tzit-yuen, a lawmaker for the medical sector, suggested the government mobilize more private medical workers to answer the calls.