HK Sees Six New Local Infections, Only One Unlinked

Hong Kong saw only six new local coronavirus infections on Thursday, with just one from an unknown source, but health authorities said it was too early to conclude that the pandemic situation in the territory is easing.

The one case which can't be traced back to others involves a 69-year-old security guard who works at Hung Fuk House in Sham Shui Po and lives at Tin Ching Estate in Tin Shui Wai.

Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan from the Centre for Health Protection said testing orders will be issued for people in the buildings the man works and lives in, and colleagues who shared facilities with him will be sent to quarantine.

"We will quarantine those who shared meals or close contact with him, and also those who shared the same security station or room, so maybe one or two [people]. Because this is a residential building security guard. If they are sharing the same room in different shifts, we will quarantine the other security guards as well," she said.

Other new infections also include a second employee at jewellery shop Cartier at K11 Musea, a Tsim Sha Tsui mall at the centre of a recent outbreak.

Chuang said authorities can't conclude at this stage that the two infections at the Cartier store are linked to a cluster at the mall's Mr Ming's Chinese Dining restaurant, which involves 50 patients so far.

She said even though the jewellery shop workers did not have direct contact with the restaurant, it's possible that they may have met some infected persons in the mall's hallways or public toilets.

Thursday also saw three imported Covid-19 cases, from the Philippines, Indonesia and Pakistan, and several people preliminarily tested positive.

Chuang said even though there is only one new unlinked case, there are four with unknown sources among the preliminary cases, showing that the outbreak situation is still fluctuating.

"There may be day-day fluctuations, so we cannot conclude from one or two days' figures. We have to see a longer trend," she said.