Covid Outbreak Hits Hung Hom Congee Shop

A new coronavirus cluster has emerged at a congee shop in Hung Hom while another cluster at a residential block in North Point has expanded, forcing a partial evacuation of residents there.

Hong Kong reported 60 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, 21 of them of unknown sources. Three of the cases were imported.

There were about 40 preliminary positive cases.

Block C of Tung Fat Building on Kam Ping Street in North Point saw 13 confirmed or preliminary positive cases involving eight flats.

The Centre for Health Protection's Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan said the flats are on different floors. But seven face the same direction.

As for the congee shop at United Building on Bulkeley Street in Hung Hom, six workers have come down with Covid-19 and a seventh has tested preliminary positive. It's a family business and a family of four are among those infected.

Other staff have been sent into quarantine, and no customers have been infected so far.

But Chuang said people who have been there recently should go take a test.

"If there are so many colleagues and workers affected in the shop, there is bound to be some risks for the visitors of shop. That's why we asked the general public who had visited the shop to get tested," Chuang told the daily Covid press conference.

She said the source of infection at the shop was unknown. The first patient showed symptoms on Monday last week.

Residents of more buildings are now subject to mandatory Covid testing. They are in Ho Man Tin, To Kwa Wan, Tuen Mun, Kwai Chung, Tin Shui Wai and Sai Wan Ho, as well as buildings in Yau Ma Tei and Jordan that were already in the designated areas for compulsory tests.