Tai Wo MTR Station Staff Infected With Covid-19

An MTR station assistant who works at Tai Wo station was confirmed to be infected with Covid-19 on Friday – as she was heading home on the East Rail after finishing up a shift.

The MTR Corporation said the staff member volunteered to be tested as she lives next to a confirmed case.

The railway said she did not exhibit any symptoms and had a normal temperature when she reported to work on Friday morning, after a break on Thursday.

She was also reported to have worn a mask at all times during her shift.

The staff member was informed of her test results on her way home, and immediately disembarked at University Station, where she was taken to hospital by ambulance.

She was assisted by colleagues wearing protective gear, who kept their distance from her.

The MTR said the train that she took was immediately taken out of service, and Tai Wo and University Stations will also be thoroughly cleansed and disinfected.

Hong Kong has seen a spike in locally-transmitted cases of Covid-19, with a record 34 local cases reported on Thursday.

Sources say around another two dozen new infections are set to be confirmed today.

Health secretary Sophia Chan said earlier on Friday that officials are planning to test tens of thousands of taxi drivers for the virus in phases, after a number of drivers were confirmed to be infected over the past few days.

Authorities are also looking to focus on other specific sectors that have been affected by the recent wave of infections, including elderly homes and eateries.

Chan said the government is also looking to further expand Hong Kong's testing capacity, which has recently risen to 7,500 per day in accordance with experts' recommendations.