More Cases Tied To Eateries Amid Triple-digit Surge

Hong Kong continued to record new Covid-19 infections in triple digits with more cases linked to restaurants, amid calls from experts to ban dine-in service at eateries.

Health officials said 118 cases have been recorded in the city as of midnight on Wednesday, with the number of locally-transmitted cases standing at 111. Both figures are the highest on record.

Of the new local cases, the Centre for Health Protection said it was unable to trace the source of infections for around 50 of them. On top of the total confirmed cases, there are around 80 cases that have been classified as preliminary positive.

Meanwhile, a 63-year-old man with chronic illnesses died at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Thursday afternoon, bringing the total number of coronavirus-related deaths to 15.

Among the new cases reported were a staff at a McDonald's outlet at Telford Plaza in Kowloon Bay, and a dishwasher at a Japanese restaurant in Pacific Place.

Staff at a Thai restaurant in Tai Kok Tsui and an eatery in Tuen Mun were also among the new cases.

Meanwhile, the Tsz Wan Shan cluster continued to spawn more cases, including at least one person who dined at Windsor restaurant in the Tsz Wan Shan Shopping Centre.

Chuang Shuk-kwan from the Centre for Health Protection also confirmed some of the new cases had attended a banquet at a Tao Heung restaurant in Mong Kok.

The banquet was held earlier this month to celebrate the 23rd anniversary of Hong Kong’s handover, and several people in attendance tested positive earlier.

The Tao Heung group, for its part, said its restaurants will be closed for 10 days from Sunday as a safety measure. They are set to re-open on the 5th of next month.

Health authorities also revealed that a second blood donor in Hong Kong has tested positive for Covid-19.

The 53-year-old woman gave blood at a Red Cross mobile unit in Tsz Wan Shan Shopping Centre on the 9th of this month. The woman is a family member of a confirmed patient.

Linda Yu of the Hospital Authority played down concerns about the case. She said the risk of a coronavirus infection via blood donation or transfusion is very low.

Now with the emergence of more cases linked to restaurants, some health experts have called for a total ban on dine-in services, with the current ban in effect only after 6pm.

Health Secretary Sophia Chan said earlier in the day that the government would consider doing so, if eateries get crowded or more restaurant clusters appear.

At the daily briefing, health officials said a baby who was delivered by a Covid-positive woman has been cleared of the virus.

The test on the baby, who was intubated due to breathing difficulty after a caesarean delivery, has returned negative, the officials said.

______________________________