Hong Kong fourth wave: health experts urge tougher crowd controls to rein in Covid-19 infections as 41 new cases emerge

HONG KONG, Jan 12 (SCMP): Health experts have warned that Hong Kong could undo its success in containing the fourth wave of the coronavirus if residents continued to pack popular gathering spots heading into the Lunar New Year holiday.

The government should consider limiting crowd sizes at shopping centres and wet markets, as well as require mask-wearing at country parks, to keep driving down Covid-19 numbers, they said on Monday, as health authorities revealed another 41 new infections. Fresh cases involved clusters at a public hospital, an ambulance depot, a ferry operator and two construction sites. To better carry out contract tracing, the government also launched a new command centre with about 100 staff members to start.