Covid Cases Linked To Wan Chai Dance Club Rising

A coronavirus outbreak involving a dance club in Wan Chai is worsening after nine more people linked to the cluster came down with Covid-19.

They are among 26 new coronavirus cases confirmed by health authorities on Friday, with 21 of them locally acquired infections.

Nine of the latest cases are linked to the Starlight Dance Club, including five dance instructors.

Preliminary tests on seven other people who have been to the club also came back positive, as officials tried to track down about 100 people who visited the club from Thursday to Saturday last week.

Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan of the Centre for Health Protection warned that the infections might spread further because the dance instructors taught at other venues as well.

“At least three dancing studios are involved according to our preliminary investigations. The first one is Starlight, the second one is HeavenlyDance, the third one is Dance Culture,” she said

HeavenlyDance is located in Sheung Wan and Dance Culture is in Causeway Bay.

"We’re still investigating the preliminary positive cases. It is possible further studios may be involved as the dancing teachers usually do not only teach in one studio,” she said.

A 75-year-old businesswoman who visited Starlight last week was confirmed with the infection on Thursday.

A construction worker, a security guard and a taxi driver were among nine untraceable local cases announced on Friday.

Three housewives, who live in Tsuen Wan, North Point and Mong Kok respectively, also contracted the virus. One of them was at a birthday party attended by 100 people at the Broadway Night Club in Tsim Sha Tsui.

There were also more than 40 preliminary positive cases, and many of them are untraceable, Chuang said.

Five imported cases were also reported, involving travellers who flew in from India, Pakistan, the UK and Romania.