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HONG KONG: Hong Kong authorities warned on Thursday (November 12) of a “worrying” trend in unrelated COVID-19 cases, and will suspend all face-to-face activities in kindergartens and daycare centers for two weeks, starting on Saturday, amid more than 170 outbreaks of respiratory disease.
On Friday, the territory reported six new COVID-19 cases, bringing the city’s total count to 5,436. Two are imported cases that traveled from Germany and Indonesia, while the remaining local infections comprise two linked and two unrelated cases.
The Center for Health Protection (CHP) on Thursday called on the public to remain vigilant, as Hong Kong reported 23 confirmed cases, including seven local broadcasts, only one of which dates back to a previous case.
“With the high infectivity of this virus, we may see more and more cases, whether linked or unlinked, in the coming days,” said CHP Communicable Diseases Branch Chief Chuang Shuk-kwan.
“WE CANNOT FIND A DEFINITIVE LINK”
The six unrelated cases reported Thursday include five drivers and a 42-year-old salesperson who held meetings with customers at work and attended a wedding reception before testing positive for the coronavirus.
“So this is a bit worrisome because for these cases, including the drivers who stayed in various districts of Hong Kong, we could not find a definitive link between them. This indicates that there is still a lot of transmission in the community,” he said. Dr. Chuang.
FILE PHOTO: People wear protective masks at a light rail station after the COVID-19 outbreak in Hong Kong. (Reuters / Tyrone Siu)
Dr. Chuang said that one of the customers the seller met during the infectious period “will be sent to a quarantine camp.”
Meanwhile, guests at the wedding banquet will be asked to get tested for COVID-19 “to make sure there is no source of infection or cluster of cases as a result of that wedding banquet.”
Dr. Chuang clarified that the wedding banquet “was not held during the contagious period of the confirmed COVID-19 patient, but during the incubation period.”
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He added that some of the patient’s close contacts are teachers and students who also need to be evaluated. As a precautionary measure, CHP has also asked the relevant schools to suspend classes for a day or two.
SUSPENSION FOR KIDS GARDENS, CHILD CARE CENTERS
All kindergartens and kindergartens will suspend face-to-face activities from Saturday to November 27, the Hong Kong government announced on Thursday.
The Health Department had recorded 171 outbreaks of upper respiratory tract infections as of Thursday morning, including 101 involving kindergartens or daycare centers, Food and Health Secretary Sophia Chan said.
She said the outbreaks are not related to COVID-19 based on tests conducted, but described the situation as “concerning.”
The outbreaks occurred “despite all the measures we have implemented in schools, including personal hygiene, the use of masks, etc.,” added Professor Chan.
The government would monitor the situation during the two-week suspension and would not rule out extending the suspension if the situation does not improve, he said.
Meanwhile, the Office of Education said schools must remain open and have staff members ready to handle administrative matters and parent inquiries.
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The statement comes a day after the announcement that Hong Kong and Singapore will launch an air transport bubble on November 22.
There will be a daily flight to each city with 200 passengers each way and the number of flights will double from December 7.
Travelers must take the dedicated flights, but will have no restrictions on the purpose of their trip and will not have to follow a controlled itinerary. They will also not be subject to quarantine or stay-at-home notice.
However, they must test negative for COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests within 72 hours of the scheduled departure time.
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