Second Outbreak Reported At Tunnel Construction Site

Health officials said workers at a construction site at the Lam Tin-Tseung Kwan O Tunnel will have to undergo mandatory testing once again following a second coronavirus outbreak there.

The site saw its first outbreak last month and was forced to close between December 9 and 27.

Officials said the latest confirmed Covid-19 patient - a supervisor at the site – developed symptoms on December 30.

Ten of his colleagues, including scaffolding workers and cleaners, also tested preliminary positive for the virus.

The Centre for Health Protection’s Chuang Shuk-kwan said some of them had worked with the supervisor and shared changing facilities at the site.

“They shared some changing facilities in the container in the site, so it’s possible that in those environments transmission may occur,” Chuang said, adding that she believes the current outbreak is not linked to the previous one.

She said around 1,500 workers will be tested and works will be suspended for the time being.

Meanwhile, officials said mandatory testing orders will be issued for those living in two more public housing blocks.

Un Shing House in Un Chau Estate in Sham Shui Po recorded four cases involving two households so far, while two people from two households in Fai Lam House of Tsui Lam Estate in Tseung Kwan O also contracted the virus.

In total, the city reported 41 infections on Sunday, 40 of which were locally-acquired.

16 of the local cases were untraceable, and authorities have also reported more than 30 preliminary positive cases.

The only imported case involved a 22-year-old woman who returned from the UK.

Meanwhile, the Department of Health said it will no longer host physical press conferences from Monday onward.

Instead, the daily briefings will be conducted online to minimise the risk of the virus spreading.