Bar Clusters Keep Expanding As Covid Tally Drops

Covid-19 infections linked to nightlife continued to expand on Saturday as dozens more customers of two bars in Central were diagnosed with the virus, while the SAR saw a slight decrease in the daily caseload.

The Centre for Health Protection said a further 44 people who'd been to LINQ and 27 patrons of Shuffle had tested positive for Covid.

Around a hundred infections are now linked to the two bars.

A handful of new infections were connected to bars at the centre of earlier clusters: Zentral and Iron Fairies.

The authorities also reported small clusters of cases in a few schools, saying they'd asked individual classes or pupils to stay home for a week.

The schools affected include the Christian and Missionary Alliance Sun Kei Primary School in Tseung Kwan O, HKSPC Operation Santa Claus Fanling Nursery School, Holy Trinity College in Shek Kip Mei, and the Baptist University Affiliated School Wong Kam Fai Secondary and Primary School in Sha Tin.

A total of 446 new Covid infections were reported for the day, including 64 imported cases. There were no Covid-related deaths.

The centre's Chuang Shuk-kwan said PCR tests showed 72 people who had reported their positive rapid test results did not carry the virus. She said some people admitted that they had reported their infections from earlier.

There was one more case of the BA.2.12.1 Omicron subvariant, involving a woman, 70, who lives in Taikoo Shing.