Covid-19 updates; Boris Johnson party apology

8:30am-9:15am: Covid-19 updates

8:30am-9:00am: Dr Charles Ng (R in photo), medical doctor and public health expert from Johns Hopkins 

8:30am-9:00am: Prof Malik Peiris, Chair of Virology at HKU School of Public Health

9:00am-9:15am: Prof Yuen Pak Leung, Immediate Past President, the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers

9:00am-9:15am: Dr Sean Yuan, Infectious Disease Modelling Group, Department of Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong 

9:15am-9:30am: Boris Johnson

9:15am-9:30am: Prof Alistair Cole, Head, Department of Government and International Studies, Hong Kong Baptist University


On Friday’s Backchat: Omicron news and Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

As Omicron spreads, Hong Kong finds more local cases. The latest Covid-19 cluster is linked to a hotpot restaurant, reviving fears of spreader events past.

Hundreds of residents in Tuen Mun queued up to get tested, with some complaining of long waiting times and chaotic arrangements. Authorities deemed the district a high-risk area because of a higher number of infections linked to a pharmacy there.

Infections tied to an investment bank rippled outwards, triggering the evacuation of residents in a building after vertical transmission of the virus was detected.

Some experts have suggested double masking. New research says cannabis can smother the coronavirus spike. And one local expert claims the current Omicron outbreak could peter out by Lunar New Year. Who knows? Our guests tomorrow will be in the hot seat to get you answers.

After 9.15am, we’ll talk about British Prime Minister Boris Johnson after his apology for attending a "BYOB" party during UK’s first Covid-19 lockdown back in May 2020.