Covid Spreading Further At Kwai Chung Estate

Covid-19 appears to have spread from one housing block at Kwai Chung Estate to another, officials said on Friday, after two preliminary positive infections emerged in a block near virus-stricken Yat Kwai House.

One of the suspected new patients is a cleaner who works at Yat Kwai House and lives at the estate's Ying Kwai House. A two-year-old neighbour of the cleaner has also tested preliminary positive.

A security guard who works in different buildings at Kwai Chung Estate is another preliminary positive case.

So far, authorities have recorded around 20 confirmed or suspected Covid infections linked to Yat Kwai House, involving 13 flats on 12 floors.

Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan of the Centre for Health Protection said residents at Ying Kwai House will be required to take Covid tests, but officials can't estimate the risk of an outbreak across the whole estate.

"At least Yat Kwai House has some transmission in that building. So... we would urge the residents to get tested to see the extent of the transmission," she said.

Meanwhile, a cluster linked to hamsters and the Little Boss pet shop in Causeway Bay has also expanded, with more customers confirmed with Covid-19.

A person who dined at the Dragon Place restaurant in Aberdeen around the same time as a man linked to the pet shop cluster is also confirmed to have the virus.

"We have seen the floor plan of the restaurant and know that the two tables where the two cases sat were quite far apart. So we need to go to the site to have a real investigation and site visit to see the ventilation and whether there may be another route of transmission in the restaurant," Chuang said.

"From what we understand, the two cases left the table and went to the toilet. Other than that, they might not have had face-to-face contact during that period."

In all, Hong Kong reported 24 confirmed Covid cases on Friday, 18 of which were local infections.

Two of the infections have so far proved to be untraceable, involving a 24-year-old man who lives in Cheung Sha Wan and a 37-year-old man who lives in Tsuen Wan.

Authorities also reported a suspected infection with an unknown source, involving a 40-year-old construction worker who lives on Nam Cheong Street in Sham Shui Po.

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