The Permanent Secretary for Health Dr James Fong says they are seeing an increase in COVID-19 cases in the maritime islands and this was expected given the opening of maritime travel and the many social media postings of crowding in maritime vessels and in social gatherings.
Dr Fong says medical teams and supplies are being set up and deployed to communities in maritime islands which are reporting a surge in positive cases.
He further says reports of transmission to medical staff as well as staff in other workplaces are increasing, and as such isolation and quarantine measures will impact workplace outputs.
Dr Fong adds the scientific basis for defining contacts and the conditions of quarantine and isolation has not changed.
He highlighted that they note that some health authorities overseas are reducing the duration of quarantine and isolation periods.
Dr Fong says the rationale and evidence in support of these less stringent conditions are context-specific and as such they are reviewing their protocols which they will be communicating soon.
He says all business and commercial entities need to be aware that the situation is continuously changing.
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