82 COVID-19 cases reported

December 1, 2020

Centre for Health Protection Communicable Disease Branch Head Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan:
We understand that for the construction site workers, some of them know each other - they may say hi when they meet each other and chat a bit - while others don't. There is a lot of person-to-person contact (among) the construction site workers and not everyone can wear a mask in that situation because it's quite hot sometimes and they work in an enclosed environment. So it is not unexpected that transmission may occur in these settings.

That's why when we found that there were a few cases among (those in) the same construction site, we were quite worried about whether it is a major outbreak. We would like to ask all workers who work there to come for testing.

For Union Hospital, I understand that some of the cases come from the quarantine centre. When cases were initially reported from Union Hospital, we put around 50 workers who shared the common room in the quarantine centre. So the new cases are coming from the quarantine centre. This is definitely an outbreak but hopefully by putting the close contacts in the quarantine centre, (the virus) will not be spread to other staff and patients.

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

The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) today said it is investigating 82 additional COVID-19 cases, of which 72 are locally transmitted.

The centre’s Communicable Disease Branch Head Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan told a press briefing this afternoon that the cases involve 32 men and 50 women.

Among the locally transmitted cases, 23 have an unknown source of infection and 49 are linked with previous cases, of which 32 are related to the dance club cluster.

Three of the infection cases and eight people who tested preliminary positive are related to a construction site of LOHAS Park in Tseung Kwan O.

Dr Chuang said the CHP was concerned about an outbreak at the construction site and requested those who had worked there since mid-November to get tested for COVID-19.

“There is a lot of person-to-person contact among the construction site workers and not everyone can wear a mask in that situation because it is quite hot sometimes and they work in an enclosed environment. So it is not unexpected that transmission may occur in these settings.

“That is why when we found that there were a few cases among those in the same construction site, we were quite worried about whether it is a major outbreak. We would like to ask all workers who work there to come for testing.”

The CHP also noted that Pine Tree Hill Seafood restaurant on Hillwood Road, Tsim Sha Tsui had registered infections and asked those who had been there recently to undergo testing.

The Government published in the gazette a compulsory testing notice to require people who were present at Pine Tree Hill Seafood, Sky Cuisine (Sheung Wan) and the construction site of Phase 9, LOHAS Park, Tseung Kwan O from November 15 to December 1 to undergo a COVID-19 nucleic acid test by December 4.

People who are subject to compulsory testing must report the result of the test or submit the test report to the Government by December 7.

It added that there are 10 imported cases.

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