Gov’t scraps isolation order for COVID infected individuals

The arrangement will be lifted on 30 January.

Individuals infected by COVID-19 will no longer be issued with isolation orders beginning 30 January.

Instead, the government will issue advice on health measures to them.

This means that infected individuals are no longer required to report and provide personal particulars via the Centre for Health Protection’s (CHP) online platforms.

Those under isolation at their residence places or isolation facilities will also no longer be required to continue their isolation from January 30. 

The government will make arrangements for those staying in the isolation facilities to leave in an orderly manner.

Whilst the government will no longer issue isolation orders, community isolation facilities (CIFs) will remain open for infected individuals until 28 February.

Explaining the move, the government said it cancelled the arrangement of  issuing isolation orders since the “hybrid immunity barrier against COVID-19 in the overall community is very strong.”

“People who have completed vaccination have presented only mild symptoms after infection with the Omicron variant,” the government added.

The current second and third-dose COVID-19 vaccination rates in Hong Kong have reached 93% and 84%, respectively.

“With the immunity brought by a large number of infected people since the fifth wave of the epidemic, an effective vaccination rate equivalent to that of having received the third dose has reached around 95%,” the government added.
 
When the new measure comes into effect, the Hospital Authority (HA) will treat COVID-19-confirmed patients in its general outpatient clinics.

Currently, confirmed patients are centralised to receive treatment in the seven designated clinics for COVID-19 cases.

The authority also terminated its teleconsultation service for confirmed patients under isolation but will continue its support hotline 1836 115 to answer enquiries on medical care and provide assistance to COVID patients.