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| 400 inmates and 200 immigration officers will be tested at the Castle Peak detention centre |
A
Thai national who had overstayed his visa since late last year has tested
positive inside the Castle Peak Bay Immigration Centre, sparking mass testing in
the facility.
This
was according to Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan of the Centre for Health Protection, who
reported the overstayer as among the 26 new Covid-19 cases today, Aug. 19.
At
the same time, Dr Chuang confirmed that all Air India flights have been banned
from Hong Kong for two weeks since yesterday, after 11 passengers on its Aug 14
flight tested positive on arrival here.
“We
found the percentage (of infected people) too high, so we have to suspend their
flights,” said Dr. Chuang.
She
said that in line with the travel restrictions that took effect on Jul 25, all
travelers coming from high-risk countries like India should have presented a
negative test result for Covid-19 before being allowed to board their flights
to Hong Kong.
This
is the first time Hong Kong has invoked its right under Cap 599 (h) of the
Disease Control and Prevention Ordinance to suspend the Air India flights.
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| 11 passengers on an Air India flight to HK were found infected, sparking the ban |
According
to Dr Chuang, all three imported cases today also flew in from India. Two are
recent arrivals, while the third tested positive on the second sample while
under quarantine.
As
for the Thai overstayer, Chuang said the man arrived in Hong Kong in October
last year and lived with a friend in Tsuen Wan before being arrested recently
during a routine ID check by police officers.
While
at the Castle Peak Bay detention centre, the man was tested in accordance with
standard procedures, and was found positive. About 400 other inmates in the
facility who were also tested returned negative results.
As
a result, three other inmates who shared a room with the patient have been
isolated, along with two immigration officers who conducted a physical check on
the man.
Chuang
said part of the routine check involved examining the patient’s mouth, so even
if the officers had worn masks, they were deemed to be close contacts and
should be isolated.
As
a further safeguard, all 400 inmates and 200 immigration staff at the facility
will be tested to prevent a possible outbreak.
Health
authorities have also asked the police to help get more information from the
patient, who is said to be uncooperative. In particular, the officers are keen
to find out the whereabouts of the patient’s friend with whom he lived in Tsuen
Wan so he could be also isolated and tested.
“We
have yet to locate the patient’s friend, and the case will be referred to the
police,” Chuang said.
No
new case was reported from the Kwai Tsing container port cluster, except for a
security personnel who was already reported as preliminary positive yesterday.
This
was despite more sample bottles being turned over to CHP for testing. From
yesterday’s 2,600 samples tested, the number has increased to 3,400 today, and
all were found negative, said Chuang.
More
than 8,000 specimen bottles have been distributed to staff at the container
port, where more than 60 cases have been found so far.
While
the number of cases continue to drop, more deaths are being reported. According
to Dr Lau Ka-hin of the Hospital Authority, two more elderly patients succumbed
to the disease over the past 24 hours, raising the death toll to 72.
The
first was a 64-year-old woman suspected of having been infected while confined
at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital for an unrelated ailment. She died yesterday afternoon,
and Dr Lau said authorities will determine, along the with the patient’s
family, whether an inquest should be carried out.
The
second fatality was an 86-year-old male patient who passed away this morning at
United Christian Hospital.
An
additional 102 patients were discharged from hospitals today, for a total
recovery figure of 3,739.
But
683 patients remain in isolation in 19 hospitals and at the treatment facility
in AsiaWorld-Expo. Of these, 29 are in critical condition, 38 are serious, and
616 are in stable condition.
