Coronavirus: Care homes in Hong Kong struggle to find staff as they brace for possible sixth wave of infections
- Care homes better prepared for possible sixth wave of infections, but warn staff shortages might hinder effort
- Recruitment drive launched on mainland to alleviate shortfall of thousands, but only 1,000 signed on so far
Care homes hard hit by the fifth wave of infections are better prepared for a sixth wave – but operators are struggling to hire enough staff, the sector has warned.
There were 11,000 vacancies in care homes in April and a recruitment drive was launched on the mainland, but only 1,000 staff had been recruited so far.
Kenneth Chan Chi-yuk, the chairman of the Elderly Services Association of Hong Kong, said on Monday that care homes had learned from the fifth wave and that is was believed that the risk of infection among elderly people would be lower in future because of an increased vaccination rate.
“During the fifth wave of the pandemic, the vaccination rate for elderly in care homes was only around 20 to 30 per cent,” he explained. “But now 92 per cent of them already received their first dose, and 83 per cent are double vaccinated.”
At least 787 – or 98 per cent – of the city’s care homes recorded cases as of early April. The fifth wave started last December and peaked in March.
