Residents Of Wong Tai Sin Estate Urged To Get Tested

Residents of a public housing estate block in Wong Tai Sin are being urged to get tested after seven people from four flats there recently came down with Covid-19, as health authorities reported 69 new coronavirus infections on Saturday.

Sixty four of the new cases are thought to be locally-acquired, 19 of which have no known source of infection - including a patient who lives in Kwai Tung House of Tung Tau Estate.

The Centre for Health Protection's Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan said six other people in Kwai Tung House had already came down with Covid-19, but they could be traced back to the dancing, Lohas Park construction site and a workplace clusters.

"Because there are already four units, that’s why we try to distribute bottles to the residents to find out more about the situation there. We do not intend to put them under mandatory testing yet," she said.

Experts from the Housing Department are being sent to check the pipes at Kwai Tung House given the proximity of some of the coronavirus-hit flats, Chuang added.

Meanwhile, one of the cases reported on Saturday included a 87-year-old man who was found dead at his home on December 2.

He has since been sent to the Fu Shan Mortuary. But authorities only ran a test on him after a family member of his tested positive for Covid-19.

"He and his family member went to one of the dancing venues for yum cha. So this is the possible source of their infection we think. His family member is also a confirmed case that’s why we retrospectively ask the mortuary personnel to take a swab to see if he’s also infected," said Dr Chuang.

Officials added there were around 80 or so preliminary positive cases.