HK 'not Out Of The Woods Yet' As Covid Stabilises

Despite a drop in the number of local coronavirus infections that have no known source of transmission, health officials insisted the people of Hong Kong need to stay vigilant because "silent transmission" is still going on and remains a concern.

Officials on Friday reported 48 new Covid-19 cases, of which only two were imported infections. Of the local cases, 37 were linked to previously-confirmed ones while nine had no known source of transmission.

Among the new local cases was one person who went to a banquet in Mong Kok last month celebrating the anniversary of the handover, and two Indonesian domestic helpers who respectively stayed in boarding houses in Tsuen Wan and Cheung Hing Building in Mong Kok where another Indonesian helper who later contracted Covid-19 had lived.

And three more workers at the Kwai Tsing Container Terminal have contracted the virus, raising the total number in that cluster to 23.

Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan of the Centre for Health Protection was asked in a daily briefing whether it was a good sign that the number of cases with no known source of transmission dropped to single-digits.

"Although the overall trend seems to be decreasing, there are some fluctuations day-by-day. The unknown cases are signifying there is some silent transmission in the community," she said.

Preliminary results showed about 30 other people have tested positive for the virus, including a nurse who works at Kowloon Hospital.

A chief manager with the Hospital Authority, Dr Linda Yu, said the nurse is believed to have contracted the virus from one of her family members who was infected on August 12. The onset of symptoms began on the same day, and samples from colleagues and patients in the ward where she works came out negative.

Yu reassured people that healthcare staff have infection-control training and wear personal protective equipment.

Meanwhile, the outbreak in Hong Kong has claimed another life, bringing the tally here to 67.

The deceased was 69-year-old male patient with chronic illnesses. He died on Friday at Eastern Hospital.