New infection linked to temple

March 1, 2020

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

 

The Centre for Health Protection reported that a woman who visited the Fook Wai Ching She temple in North Point tested positive for COVID-19 today.

 

The centre’s Communicable Disease Branch Head Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan told a press briefing the latest confirmed case is a 71-year-old woman who lives in Lam Tin and had visited the Buddhist temple last month.

 

She volunteered at the temple for a few days and was involved in preparing food. She recalled speaking to and having a meal with case number 92 at the temple on February 8.

 

Dr Chuang said the woman had called the centre’s hotline on February 29 and it referred her to United Christian Hospital for treatment.

 

She was confirmed infected with COVID-19 today.

 

“The latest case is referred by us because she phoned up our hotline, so we know that she is symptomatic.

 

“So we would like to still call upon the public if they had visited the temple on or after January 25, please call our hotline. We will arrange for them to be placed under quarantine, medical surveillance or if they are symptomatic, we will arrange for them to be sent to the hospital.”

 

Dr Chuang added the centre has traced 265 people who visited the temple on or after January 25, and referred 34 of them who are symptomatic to hospitals.

 

“Some of them turned out to be a (confirmed) case and the others tested negative or testing is being conducted. We placed 38 of them under quarantine because they are still within the incubation period of 14 days.

 

“For the other 193 we placed them under medical surveillance. They have passed the first incubation period, so their last contact with the temple was more than two weeks ago, but to be safe, we would still like to follow up with them for a total of 28 days, just in case.”

 

As at noon today and over the past 24 hours, public hospitals admitted 49 patients who met the reporting criteria of COVID-19.

 

They include 17 males and 32 females, aged 20 months to 90 years.

 

There are currently 122 patients under isolation. So far, 36 patients with the COVID-19 infection have been discharged upon recovery.

 

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

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