Testing Continues As Another Covid-19 Case Confirmed

Health authorities were continuing efforts on Friday to try to test all residents at two housing blocks in Tsuen Wan where the first local cases of coronavirus have emerged over the past few days.

A couple in their 60s and their granddaughter, who lives nearby, have all been confirmed with Covid-19 despite having no recent travel history.

Officials said as of Friday afternoon, nearly 2,000 sample bottles have been distributed to residents of Lei Muk Shue Estate, where they’re supposed to deposit saliva samples from deep down their throats first thing in the morning, before handing them back to the authorities.

However, Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan of the Centre for Health Protection acknowledged that officials have no power to force them to do this.

“We’ll try to persuade the residents to save the specimens, but it seems they’re asymptomatic… Testing is purely voluntary, because it’s very difficult to [compel] someone to save some specimens for you”, she said.

Meanwhile, health authorities confirmed one more imported coronavirus case, bringing the total tally to 1,052.

The latest patient had previously tested negative for the virus when returning to Hong Kong from France in late March.

But he was tested again after seeking hospital treatment for a hurt finger on Wednesday, and it came back positive.

Dr Chuang says his viral load is very low, and he's thought to have caught the virus in Europe.