Tests Urged For Eatery Patrons As Waiter Gets Covid

Health authorities said anyone who dined at a Vietnamese restaurant in a Tsim Sha Tsui hotel in the past week could get tested for Covid-19 after a waiter there was confirmed to have contracted the new coronavirus.

The news comes after Hong Kong reported eight new Covid-19 cases on Tuesday, of which just three were imported. Of the five local cases, three had no known source.

The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) confirmed that the three cases with no known source includes a 43-year-old man who lives on Jaffe Road in Wan Chai, and works as a waiter at a Vietnamese restaurant on the third floor of the Royal Garden Hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui.

He reported feeling unwell on Friday, but went to work the following day.

CHP's Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan said waiters and anyone who shared meals with the waiter or spent time with him in the staff lounge would be quarantined. The chefs at the restaurant and hotel guests will also be given specimen bottles.

Chuang also said any customers who visited the restaurant between Wednesday and Saturday could get tested if they are worried.

A notice posted on the hotel's website read that the restaurant in question will be shut until October 17.

Another case with no known source is an unemployed 33-year-old man from North Point, who had attended a mid-autumn festival gathering with 16 family members at a relative's home in Whampoa on October 1.

Chuang said they are trying to get in touch with the relatives who went to the family gathering to arrange for them to be quarantined and tested.

The man in question also went to the cinema at City Plaza on October 2 and had a meal at a hot and sour noodle restaurant in Fortress Hill, before falling ill the next day.

The third case with no known source was a 22-year-old student who lives at Lung Mun Oasis in Tuen Mun with family. He attended classes online, but he regularly visited the Yan Oi Tong Cheng Yiu Yuen Memorial Fitness Centre.

Chuang said he also dined at many restaurants in the area including the Gao Fu Restaurant, Total Dessert, and the San Hui branch of the TamJai SamGor noodle restaurant.

When asked if there would be more cases in the coming days because a number of people went out during mid-autumn festival, Chuang said they would need to observe the situation to see if there is a trend.

She said the fact there were three cases with no known source was not a good sign, and urged people to maintain social distancing and personal hygiene.