A specialist in geriatrics, Paul Shea, said on Tuesday that he supports the idea of quarantining elderly care home residents who are close contacts of Covid patients on site, rather than sending them to AsiaWorld-Expo.

On an RTHK programme, Shea said it's better for such residents to be taken care of somewhere they are familiar with, as they can experience anxiety if taken to government facilities.

"The question is what is most suitable for the elderly? We are not just considering the manpower, but it's more comfortable for the elderly people if they stay on site, with the same caretakers, environment and lighting," he said.

"If you have been to the AsiaWorld-Expo, the elderly people are sleeping in a big hall facing a black ceiling. They felt scared as they thought they were in hell," Shea said.

The doctor conceded that quarantining elderly people in care homes may lead to further outbreaks, but said the public health system is unlikely to collapse given Hong Kong's vaccination rate.