(To watch the full press briefing with sign language interpretation, click here.)

The Centre for Health Protection today said it is investigating 129 additional COVID-19 cases, of which 102 are locally infected and 27 are imported. Among the local cases, 22 have unknown sources of infection.

Briefing the media this afternoon, the centre’s Communicable Disease Branch Head Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan said the number of unlinked cases registered is the largest since the onset of the fifth wave of the epidemic.

“Unlinked cases indicated that there are a lot of other cases in the community which are unknown to us at the moment.”

The patients with unknown infection sources live in different districts of the city including Sai Ying Pun, Hung Hom, Cheung Sha Wan, Tai Po, Tsuen Wan and Tuen Mun.

“With more people going to test and more travel history being revealed, we may find some cases that can be linked to other cases subsequently. But the large number of unlinked cases in the community still indicates that there are quite some large community transmissions in those areas.”

The centre added that the epidemic situation in Kwai Chung Estate has been brought under control as only isolated cases were detected in individual housing blocks.

“For the Kwai Chung Estate, we do find one or two cases in those buildings that had been under five-day restriction-testing declarations. I think the major outbreak in those two or three buildings have been largely brought down by the restriction-testing declarations.”

The Government tonight made restriction-testing declarations to cover Serenity Villa in Tai Po Tau and Tung Moon House in Tai Hang Tung Estate, requiring people in the restricted areas to undergo compulsory testing.

In view of the positive sewage testing results in Tai Po, the area around Ying Pun Ha, San Wa On Lane and Ka King Lane in Tai Po Tau is covered in a compulsory testing notice.

Meanwhile, 50 places are also covered in a compulsory testing notice due to local cases and preliminary positive cases found.

The Government will set up an additional mobile specimen collection station at Tong Ming Street Park in Tseung Kwan O while the mobile specimen collection station at Tsz Wan Shan Community Hall will continue operation to provide a free testing service for people subject to compulsory testing.

The mobile specimen collection truck providing free testing for cold store practitioners in Kwai Tsing district will park at the service point at Kwai Tsing Container Terminal while the one in Yuen Long will suspend service on the second day of the Lunar New Year.

Regarding the positive sewage testing results in Sha Tin and Tuen Mun, rapid test kits will be distributed to residents of Oceanaire, Ocean View, La Costa and Yan On Estate as well as to cleansing workers and property management staff working in Venice Garden, Blossom Garden, Greenery Villa, Tai Hing Estate, Tai Hing Gardens and Terrace Concerto.

As passenger flight GA876 operated by Garuda Indonesia arriving in Hong Kong from Jakarta on January 30 had three passengers who tested positive upon arrival, the Department of Health has prohibited the landing of passenger flights in the city from Jakarta operated by the airline from February 1 to 14.

For information and health advice on COVID-19, visit the Government's dedicated webpage.