Covid Case With Unknown Source May Have Omicron

Health officials said a supermarket worker who caught Covid-19 from an unknown source may be infected with the Omicron variant. She was among the 37 newly confirmed cases announced on Saturday.

Authorities said the 58-year-old Covid patient had a relatively high viral load and that she was infected with mutations found in the highly-infectious Omicron variant.

The patient, who lives in Wan Chai, was unvaccinated and developed a fever and a headache on January 6. Another six of the cases were linked to imported ones.

Meanwhile, authorities said they will order all those who went to the Hins Cheung concert on January 3 to get tested.

The Centre for Health Protection's Chuang Shuk-kwan explained that a preliminary positive case had attended the concert with her husband.

"I do not at hand have a figure for the concert of Cheung King-hin, but usually the concert will consist of quite some people, so we'll put all those who attended the concert under compulsory testing notice," said Chuang.

It was one of more than 30 preliminary positive cases reported on Saturday.

The woman is the employer of an Indonesian domestic helper who was confirmed with the coronavirus earlier. Her 13-year-old child also tested preliminary positive.

Officials said they are also investigating whether a 39-year-old aircraft cabin cleaner, whose sample tested preliminary positive, got infected at work.

Additionally, the government has adjusted its quarantine requirements for recovered Covid patients.

It said patients who were discharged from hospitals from now on will have to undergo a compulsory 14-day home isolation and health monitoring, instead of being quarantined at North Lantau Hospital.

Officials said they made the decision after considering the latest epidemic situation and requirement for quarantine and treatment facilities.

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