Tuen Mun Eatery To Shut After Three Covid Cases

A restaurant in Tuen Mun will temporarily shut down for disinfection and some 30 of the staff there will be tested for Covid-19 after health officials found that three newly-confirmed coronavirus patients were frequent diners there.

This comes after a 61-year-old man from Tuen Mun and a 63-year-old relative were found positive through the government's universal testing scheme. Later a 49-year-old man from the area was also found to be infected.

The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) said on investigation, they found all three were part of the regular breakfast crowd at the Do Shing Restaurant on Heung Sze Wui Road.

“We’re not sure how the transmission occurred in the cha chaan teng in Tuen Mun, because there are two relatives, and ... another case, they coincidentally went to the same restaurant for breakfast," said the CHP's Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan.

She said it was possible that one of the staff members could be infected, and the CHP is arranging for some three dozen sample bottles to be sent to restaurant staff. She said so far no one working at the restaurant has reported any symptoms.

These three cases were among the 14 new infections that were reported on Monday, of which just two were imported. Of the local cases, three had no known source of infection. Six of the new cases were detected through the universal testing scheme.

When asked if it was still appropriate to ease more social distancing measures in the coming days as the city is still recording new coronavirus cases, Chuang said: "I think any relaxation of social distancing measures or increase in social activities by the general public may increase the risk of the spread.

"As long as two people get together or a group of people get together, if anyone of them is a silent carrier or infectious, they may infect each other."