Risk For Audience Low, But Best To Get Tests: Expert

A medical expert said on Wednesday that it would be good for people who attended performances of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra last week to get tested for coronavirus, though the chances of infection from a musician who was on the dais is low.

This comes after a bass clarinet player of the orchestra tested preliminary positive on Tuesday, requiring the quarantining of some 100 musicians who performed with him.

Among the audience on Friday was Chief Executive Carrie Lam and Home Affairs Secretary Caspar Tsui. The CE's office said on Tuesday that Lam had been tested for Covid. The Home Affairs Bureau said Tsui has also been tested and the result is expected to come later.

Dr Leung Chi-chiu from the Medical Association said it would be good for others who were in the audiences to also get tests, despite a low risk, as the infected performer would have released droplets throughout the performance.

“There’s still a risk of airborne transmission of the aerosols, there may still be a risk of infection within 14 days after exposure,” Leung explained.

He added that even if the results on members of the audiences come back negative, they should still take care because they could still be in the incubation stage.

Leung also said performances or concerts should be stopped for the time being given Hong Kong is in a critical period after seeing the number of cases rebound.

David Hui from the Chinese University played down the chances of the orchestra audiences being infected, saying the player’s instrument would have blocked most of his droplets.

But he said musicians who were close to the clarinetist had a high risk of infection, despite being separated by plastic partitions.

The expert, who also advises the government on its coronavirus response measures, told RTHK's Millennium programme that the venue's high ceilings and ventilation would reduce the audiences’ risk of exposure.