Parkes Building virus case probed

April 17, 2021

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

 

The Centre for Health Protection today said it is conducting an on-site investigation at the Ramada Hong Kong Grand in Tsim Sha Tsui to follow up on a confirmed local COVID-19 case involving the N501Y mutant strain.

 

The male patient arrived in Hong Kong from Dubai on March 19 and underwent quarantine at the hotel before moving to his friend’s place at Parkes Building in Jordan.

 

At a press briefing this afternoon, the centre’s Controller Dr Ronald Lam said the centre has not ruled out the possibility that the hotel was the source of the patient’s infection.

 

“According to the law, he had to be quarantined in a designated hotel for 21 days. During that 21 days, he stayed at the Ramada Hong Kong Grand in Tsim Sha Tsui. We could not find the source of infection at this stage, but there are three possibilities.

 

“One of the possibilities is that there could be a lapse in infection control in the Ramada Hong Kong Grand in Tsim Sha Tsui.

 

“We need to see if that is a possibility, so the Centre for Health Protection Infection Control Branch, together with the Government’s designated hotel team and also the Electrical & Mechanical Services Department and the Buildings Department are conducting an on-site investigation, looking at the ventilation as well as the drainage pipes and also the infection control practices of the hotel.

 

“The on-site investigation is still ongoing. But preliminarily, for the room where he stayed, we have not found any problems with the ventilation as well as the drainage pipes.”

 

Dr Lam said the centre will make public the findings once the investigation is complete.

 

“Apart from this hotel, we would also conduct investigation at other Ramada hotels as well,” he added.

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