Responsive Ad Slot

Latest

Sponsored

Features

Buhay Pinay

People

Sports

Philippine News

Join us at Facebook!

121 more Covid-19 cases reported today, including 1 Filipino DH

31 July 2020

By The SUN

The Filipina DH tested positive, despite submitting a negative result for Covid-19 prior to boarding her flight from Manila (File photo)

Another 121 new Covid-19 cases were reported in Hong Kong today, Jul 31, the 10th straight day that the number of infections reported in a day exceeded 100. The city’s total tally now stands at 3,272.

Citing the recent surge in cases as reason, Chief Executive Carrie Lam announced tonight that the legislative council slated for Sept 6 will be postponed for a year. She said the “epidemic is at its worst," making it difficult to hold the elections without endangering public safety.

Of the new cases reported today, all except three, were local transmissions. The imported cases include a Filipina domestic worker who tested positive on arrival, despite the pro-boarding requirement in Manila that she should show a negative test result for Covid-19.


The two others were a seafarer from India and a businessman from Mexico.

Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan of the Centre for Health Protection said that about half, or 62 of the new local cases, have links to previous infections, while the sources for the 61 others are unknown. The linked cases included 48 that spread among family members and friends.

Hospital Authority’s Sara Ho reported two more deaths, again involving elderly patients, that raised the death toll to 27.
 
The latest fatality from Covid-19 was declared dead this morning at Queen Mary Hospital
One was a 91-year-old man who passed away at 11:34 am at Queen Mary Hospital in Pokfulam. The patient, who was a resident at the virus-plagued Kong Tai Care for the Aged Centre in Tsz Wan Shan, had long-term illnesses and was admitted on Jul 10.

Earlier, at 12:18 am, an 82-year-old woman who also had chronic diseases, passed on at Tuen Mun Hospital. She was admitted on Jul 26 due to fever, and her condition deteriorated after testing positive for the coronavirus disease.
Dr Chuang listed among today’s notable cases an emerging cluster in a direct marketing company called Star Global, with offices at Kin-on Mansion on Argyle Street in Kowloon. Four more infections were recorded today, on top of two previously confirmed. Five other people have tested preliminary positive.

She said the basement office is engaged in the direct selling of cosmetics and wine, and has enough room for training 100 in direct selling. The police are helping health authorities in tracking down close contacts of the infected people.



Two cases were also included in the cluster involving staff of Metro Radio which has offices in Whampoa. There are now a total of eight people linked to the office.

At Cornwall elderly home in Tuen Mun which has already about 20 confirmed cases, three more patients tested positive today.

There was another case linked to the Tao Heung restaurant at Grand Plaza in Mong Kok, and another to the Kin Shing contractors in Kwun Tong.
Among the preliminary positive cases is a resident at an elderly home in Fanling, and an employee at Caritas Evergreen Home in Sai Ying Pun.

A couple of patients testing positive after being put in general wards were also reported today, including one at Queen Elizabeth, another at Princess Margaret, and at Tuen Mun Hospital. The patients’ close contacts have been put under quarantine while under observation.

Dr Ho said the community isolation facility at AsiaWorld-Expo near the airport will start accepting patients from tomorrow to free up isolation beds in hospitals that have reached capacity. 
She said a few patients who are younger and have mild to no symptoms will be sent there initially, with the transfer being ramped up gradually. Up to 500 patients could be accommodated in the new facility.

She has said that the surge in cases has left up to 200 confirmed or preliminary positive patients waiting to be admitted to hospitals.

This was even after around 300 patients were moved from isolation rooms to tier-2 beds in isolation wards, and a further 100 recovering patients to the isolation facility in Lei Yue Mun.

Today, 91 patients were discharged from hospitals, raising the total number of recoveries to 1,751.

A total of 1,187 patients are still in 15 public hospitals, 43 of them critical, 39 serious,  and 1,105 in stable condition.

Don't Miss