Hong Kong Reports 12 More Covid-19 Cases

Hong Kong reported a slight rebound in the number of Covid-19 cases with 12 cases reported on Thursday, up from six the day before.

There were seven imported cases, and five of the new cases were local, of which two were found through the government's universal community test scheme, bringing the total number of Covid-19 patients found through the scheme to 21.

Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan of Centre for Health Protection (CHP) said the two found through the scheme were both females, aged 57 and 39, who worked in restaurants in Causeway Bay and in Yuen Long. Both restaurants have been closed for disinfection.

Chuang said the 39-year-old got tested on Monday, and took her five-year-old son to Queen Elizabeth and Eye Hospitals respectively on Tuesday and Wednesday for surgery.

A Hospital Authority chief manager, Dr Lau Ka-hin, said the boy tested negative for Covid-19 on Tuesday, and his eye operation was allowed to go ahead the next day. But during the operation, the mother was informed that she had tested positive and both were tested again after the surgery.

Lau said the boy was then found to be preliminary positive and was arranged to be isolated at Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

He said no medical personnel have been listed as close contacts as they all had proper protective gear when meeting the patients, and that the boy didn't interact with other patients.

Chuang and Lau were also joined by undersecretary for food and health, Dr Chui Tak-yi, who said although there was a downward trend in the overall number of confirmed cases, there were still a lot of asymptomatic cases and cases with no known source.

In a summary of the epidemic from January until now, Chui said more than a thousand cases had no known symptoms or source of transmission, and he stressed that early detection and diagnosis was important.

He said that as of 2pm on Thursday, about 1.47 million specimens had been collected under the government's citywide test scheme, of which 1.33 million samples have been tested.

Speaking as authorities and businesses prepare to ease more Covid-19 restrictions on Friday, Chui urged people to stay vigilant, and to pay extra attention to hand hygiene and when removing masks for activities.

"By end of July, we must remember that the average number of confirmed cases for a period of seven days was more than 100, so we need to do everything we can to prevent a rebound of the third wave," he said.