Meet but don’t eat, says official, as more areas put under lockdown

By Daisy CL Mandap 

Don't gather and eat together over Lunar New Year, Chui tells the public

With the Lunar New Year just about a week away, members of the public are being encouraged to settle on greeting each other on the phone or online, or if they still prefer face-to-face greeting, to avoid gathering for meals.

This was the advice given by Undersecretary for Food and Health Chui Tak-yi, when he spoke today, Feb 4, at the daily briefing on the coronavirus situation in Hong Kong.

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“In light of the epidemic, we strongly appeal to the public to avoid cross family gatherings and be considerate to prevent a rebound of the epidemic,” said Chui.

“Greetings can be exchanged via telephone calls or video calls, or if face-to-face meetings are needed, the times should be shorter as much as possible, the mask should be kept on at all times, and there should be no meals.”

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Chui, however, would not be drawn into saying private gatherings should be banned during the longest holiday in the city, saying what is important is education and public awareness.

He also said everyone has a duty to ensure their own safety and that of the community.

Chui says everyone must help ensure the virus does not spread some more 

He made his statement as more ambush-style lockdowns were enforced across the city, and 22 new coronavirus infections were reported, 10 of them from unknown sources.

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Sealed off starting at 7pm tonight are a section of Yau Ma Tei, which was locked down only nine days ago; and Mandarin Court, a residential building on Shanghai Street in Mong Kok, where residents were earlier ordered to undergo testing.

Among the new cases, 19 were locally acquired, including a housewife who tested positive during the overnight lockdown of Tower 1 of Goodview Garden in Tuen Mun.

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Dr Albert Au from the Centre for Health Protection said the patient lives directly above a construction worker who contracted the virus at the third runway project for the new airport.

Also among the new cases was a customer service officer at the Harbourfront Horizon hotel in Hung Hom, whose infection came after a repairman there tested positive for the virus.

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However, Au said the two had not come into close contact.

More than 200 staff at the hotel will have to undergo testing, but since they all wore masks during work, hotel guests are not being given the same order for now.

Au said that when six guards at the hotel tested positive 10 days ago, specimen bottles were given to all residents, but none was found infected.

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The three imported cases included an air crew from Russia and a returning resident from Nepal who both tested positive for Covid-19 on arrival at the airport on Feb 2. The third was a returnee from Brazil who was found infected on his second test, 12 days after flying in.

One confirmed patient passed away at Tuen Mun Hospital at 6:08 am today, raising the death toll in public hospitals to 180. The 67-year-old male patient was initially admitted for fever and asthma in November last year, before found infected with the virus.

A total of 630 patients are being treated in 23 public hospitals and the treatment facility at AsiaWorld Expo. Among them, 26 are in critical condition, another 26 in serious condition, and the remaining 578 are in stable condition.

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