HK Sees Sudden Surge In Covid Cases From Abroad

Health officials on Wednesday announced a sudden spike in coronavirus cases, with 28 newly confirmed infections – including one patient who had not been abroad recently – bringing the city's total tally 1,233.

The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) said the latest cases involve 12 males and 16 females, aged three to 46.

Twenty-seven people had a recent travel history, of which 25 recently arrived in Hong Kong from India, one arrived from Indonesia, and one landed from Kazakhstan.

One patient, a 46-year-old female from Tai Wai, had not travelled outside Hong Kong during the incubation period.

She is believed to have contracted the new coronavirus from either her 59-year-old husband or her 19-year-old son who tested positive on Tuesday.

The two men had returned to Hong Kong on June 17 and had been put under compulsory home quarantine.

The trio live in Mei Sau House, Mei Tin Estate. The woman developed a fever, malaise and a cough on Friday, and sought medical advice from a private practitioner in Lam Tin the same day.

The CHP said the woman had visited some market stalls in Tai Wai and a supermarket in Mei Tin Estate before being admitted to Prince of Wales Hospital.

The centre said that as a precautionary measure, it had arranged with the Housing Department to distribute deep throat saliva specimen bottles to residents of Mei Sau House, starting from Wednesday.