14 virus cases reported

January 20, 2022

The Centre for Health Protection today said it is investigating 14 additional COVID-19 cases, of which four are imported, seven are epidemiologically linked with imported cases, one is locally infected and two are possibly local-related.

 

The patients comprise 10 males and four females aged one to 59. Thirteen of the cases involve mutant strains, while the mutation test result of the remaining one case is pending.

 

The cases epidemiologically linked with imported ones concern a 14-year-old male who lives with a family member who tested positive, a 28-year-old male who is a close contact of an earlier case, a 58-year-old female who is a teacher at Delia Memorial School (Broadway), three males aged between 11 and 16 who are close contacts of a previous case, and a 12-year-old male student from Delia Memorial School (Broadway).

 

The possibly local-related cases involve a 53-year-old man who works at the Cathay Pacific Cargo Terminal at the airport and lives in Yat Kwai House of Kwai Chung Estate which is the same block as a previous case, and a one-year-old girl who visited a family member who also lives at Yat Kwai House.

 

The local case concerns a 17-year-old male who studies at St Joseph's Anglo-Chinese School in Kwun Tong.

 

The centre said there are so far three positive and 13 preliminarily positive cases related to Yat Kwai House, involving 12 units on 11 floors facing different directions.

 

It conducted an inspection to the building with relevant government departments and experts to examine if environmental factors were involved in the infection of those cases.

 

Experts then agreed that no building structure, air flow and pipe issues were involved in the virus transmission and there is no need to evacuate all residents for compulsory quarantine at this stage.

 

Meanwhile, the centre is following up on two preliminarily positive cases that are related to pet shops.

 

One of the cases involves a 30-year-old woman who lives at Shing Him House, Tin Shing Court in Tin Shui Wai. She bought a hamster from the Little Boss pet shop in Causeway Bay on January 11 and had contact with the infected staff member of the shop.

 

Being classified as a close contact, the woman was arranged to undergo quarantine at the Penny's Bay Quarantine Centre on January 18 and preliminarily tested positive the next day.

 

Another case is a 23-year-old woman who lives at Mei Yue House in Shek Kip Mei Estate. She bought a hamster from another Little Boss pet shop at Tung Choi Street in Mong Kok on January 4.

 

According to the latest laboratory testing results, seven of the samples collected from four pet shops, other than the Little Boss shop in Causeway Bay and its warehouse in Tai Po, also tested positive for the COVID-19 virus.

 

Those shops are i love rabbit in Yuen Long and Causeway Bay and two Little Boss shops at Tung Choi Street in Mong Kok. They have been included in a compulsory testing notice.

 

In view of 12 preliminarily positive cases and one import-related case, 50 specified premises are also covered in the notice.

 

Furthermore, since some sewage samples collected in Aberdeen and Sham Tseng have tested positive, one premises and all relevant buildings and structures within two specified areas in the districts are subject to compulsory testing.

 

The Government made a restriction-testing declaration this evening covering Yat Kwai House, Shing Him HouseTower 1 of New Haven in Tsuen Wan and Cheung Yan House of Cheung Sha Wan Estate.

 

It will also set up or reopen mobile specimen collection stations at various locations to facilitate people to get tested.

 

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

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