Officials 'extremely Worried' As 40 New Cases Added

The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) on Tuesday described the coronavirus situation as “very worrying” as they reported that more than half the 40 new local Covid-19 cases were infected via unknown sources.

The centre's Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan said the 24 newly-confirmed mystery infections come from across the city – including a family of four who live in a coronavirus hotspot, Tsz Wan Shan.

A couple who live in Ngau Chi Wan were also infected via an unknown source, as were a stall owner at the Pei Ho Street market in Sham Shui Po, along with another person who frequents the market.

“Essentially, all districts are affected”, Chuang said.

She added that the the fact that the authorities cannot track down the source of so many infections means the virus is quite widespread.

“Half of the reported cases today we have an unknown source, so it is very worrying because the cases can spread in the community, and also we do not have a definite source – that means there are lots of unknown sources in the community that can spread easily, and they may be asymptomatic”, Chuang said.

She also expressed alarm at the number of elderly people getting infected.

"Many of the cases are elderly people… they do not have many activities except walking around and having Chinese tea in some restaurants. This is quite a usual habit for local people. So if that is a risk factor then it is very worrying because many of us may get infected unknowingly."

Sixteen cases were linked to previously confirmed infections, including friends, family members and domestic helpers of confirmed patients, and the owner of a restaurant in Sheung Wan at the centre of a cluster of cases.

A customer and a family member of a cashier at a ‘cha chaan teng’ at Tsz Wan Shan have also come down with the disease .

Chuang noted that many new patients work in high-risk trades like at restaurants – where people have to take their masks off to eat – or whose job brings them into direct contact with many members of the public.

Concerns are also rising over possible infections in a hospital-setting.

A 77-year–old woman who recently stayed at the same ward in Queen Elizabeth Hospital as a previously-confirmed case has also tested positive.

A chief manager of the Hospital Authority, Dr Lau Ka-hin, said experts were probing the matter to try to pinpoint the source of infection – to see whether it happened inside the hospital.

“Up to this moment we can still not conclude where the patient get the infection”, he said.

Meanwhile, a patient who underwent a heart procedure at Princess Margaret Hospital fell unwell a day after he was discharged and subsequently tested positive for Covid-19.

Fourteen patients who stayed at the same ward as him, along with a nurse, will be quarantined as close contacts.

Eight more imported cases were also reported on Tuesday, including three people who recently returned from the Philippines, four people who flew in from India, and a flight attendant who returned from the UK.