By Daisy CL Mandap
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| Dr Chuang says 'hundreds, even more' cases could be detected soon |
As the
Lunar New Year holidays came to a close, an infectious disease expert again
called on people not to gather, warning that “hundreds, even more” Covid-19
cases could be detected in the next few days because of many silent
transmissions going on in the city.
Dr Chuang
Shuk-kwan from the Centre for Health Protection reported at the daily news
briefing that 142 additional Covid-19 cases had been detected, and 31 of these
were unlinked local cases, a new record for Hong Kong.
She also
said 160 preliminary positive cases had been detected as of 4pm Thursday,
indicating that the previous daily record of 164 new infections posted on Jan
27 is likely to be surpassed.
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Most, or
121 of today’s new cases are local cases, and 15 of them carried the Delta
strain. The rest were all suspected Omicron cases.
They took
Hong Kong’s total Covid-19 tally to 14,013.
Chuang
said many of the local cases reported today involved only mild or no symptoms
at all, indicating that many infected but asymptomatic patients are going
around the city, unknowingly infecting people around them.
The 129 untraceable
cases recorded in the past two weeks alone are said to provide proof of the
many invisible transmissions going on right now.
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“From overseas
experience, because Omicron is highly transmissible, we can expect a high
exponential growth of cases,” said Chuang.
“So we are
rather concerned that we will be seeing hundreds, even more cases soon, and
that will cause a burden on our health care system.”
Asked whether social distancing measures need to be tightened further because of the continuing surge in cases, Chuang said the government is looking at the situation closely and will announce further measures as appropriate.
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She said
cases coming from cross-family gatherings have begun to be detected, citing one
in Tuen Mun as an example.
“Please
stay at home as much as possible and unless necessary, do not go to any large gatherings
and engage in too many social activities,” she said.
Of the
unlinked cases, two involved the Delta variant. The patients live in Choi Wan
Estate and Tai Ping Estate in Sheung Shui.
The unlinked Omicron cases live in the
following places: Pacific Palisades and City Garden in North Point, as well as
Shatin, Tai Wai, Tai Po, Ma On Shan, Lam Tin, Tsz Hong Estate, Sham Shui Po, Shek
Lei Estate, Park Island
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Dr. Chuang said six of those who tested
positive are cleaners who work in Science Park, Landmark, Hong Kong Adventist
Hospital in Tsuen Wan, Tsz On Court in Tsz Wan Shan and Sun Chui Estate in Tai
Wai.
Two staff at Times Café in Chung On Shopping
Centre in Ma On Shan and four in Sun Sun Restaurant in Chuang’s London Plaza in
Jordan were also among those infected.
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| 4 staff members of Sun Sun restaurant in Jordan were among the new cases |
Two others contracted the virus at a fish
store in Hung Hom market, which was closed at 6pm Thursday and will remain shut
on Friday for disinfection.
At an elderly home in Kwai Chung, a staff
member tested positive days after another person there was found infected. The
two had no contact with each other. As a result more than 60 residents and
staff at the care home will be sent to quarantine.
Two recognizance holders also tested positive
but could not be found. Chuang said one of them is due to report soon to an
NGO.
Another housing block will be partially
evacuated, amid fears of vertical and horizontal transmissions among flats.
Residents of flat 18 on the 6th
and 7th floor of Bik Shui House, Shui Pin Wai Estate in Yuen Long
will be moved to a quarantine center.
Meanwhile, two more passengers on Nepal Air
flight RA409 which arrived in Hong Kong on Jan 25 were among 21 imported cases
today. They took the total number of infections from the flight to a whopping 82.
Two foreign domestic workers were also on the
list. One arrived from Indonesia on Feb 1 and was on her third day of quarantine at Courtyard
by Marriott Hotel when she tested positive. The other was locally infected, and lives
in Hing Lung Building in Wong Tai Sin.
Three male seafarers who sailed into Hong Kong
from Singapore are also among the new cases.
Meanwhile, two flights were suspended for two
weeks after a number of their passengers tested positive on arrival in Hong Kong.
Flight TK083 operated by Turkish Airlines
arrived in Hong Kong from Istanbul on Feb 1 and six of its passengers were
found infected on arrival.
The second is flight AY101 operated by Finnair which arrived on Feb 2. Five of its passengers tested positive on arrival.
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