HK Records 73 New Covid Cases As Dance Cluster Grows

Health authorities reported 73 new coronavirus cases on Monday as an outbreak linked to dance studios continued to expand with another 50 infections.

Officials said that seven more venues, on top of the 14 previously announced, were found to be connected to the outbreak.

So far 132 recent visitors to these places and their close contacts have been confirmed to have Covid-19.

Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan of the Centre for Health Protection said she can’t predict to what extent this cluster will grow.

“It depends on the behaviour of the general public and the cases... whether they will adopt social distancing measures, whether they stop going out for a while to stop transmission. It needs the cooperation of people in Hong Kong because we don't know who has already been infected,” she said.

Among the new cases in the dance cluster are two members of staff who worked at two of the venues and a part-time dance instructor at True Light Middle School. Students who came into contact with the instructor are to be tested for Covid-19.

A female patient linked to the dance cluster works at Union Hospital. One of her colleagues has also tested positive for the virus. Chuang said officials are investigating whether there has been silent transmission of the virus at the hospital.

Officials have been unable to trace the source of infection for eight people, including four housewives who live in various districts.

There are also 10 infections involving people who recently returned from abroad.

Meanwhile, more than 70 people have tested positive for the virus in preliminary tests.