Hong Kong confirms 69 coronavirus cases today

Hong Kong has confirmed 69 Covid-19 cases today, marking the sixth consecutive day since the SAR has recorded fewer than 100 infections. 

Among them, 67 were locally transmitted cases, including two staffers at an elderly home in Sham Shui Po and a resident from an elderly home in Wong Chuk Hang. Both elderly homes had reported infections previously.

Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan, head of the communicable disease branch of the Centre for Health Protection, said there might be a small outbreak in association with the MTR Kowloon Bay Depot, where four to five infections had been reported.

A similar cluster was also identified at a container terminal in Kwai Chung, Chuang said the transmission might be caused by the sharing of facilities. She said officials are still confirming the total number of infections connected to the cluster. 

Chuang added 30 of the new cases today were linked to unknown sources, while the remaining 37 infections were related to identified clusters, including 29 patients who caught the virus in family gatherings. 

Several public hospitals have reported infections or needs for isolation. A 44-year-old patient who went to Yan Chai Hospital on Thursday with a fever and diarrhoea, he was hospitalized in general wards after tested preliminary negative. But he was confirmed with the virus after a second test, the Hospital Authority had listed 11 close contacts.

A female nurse working at the Accidents and Emergency (A&E) wards in Tuen Mun Hospital has tested preliminary positive. 

A private Chinese medicine doctor has been diagnosed with the virus, he last worked in Mongkok Building and met two clients on July 31. 

i-Cable News said one of its drivers has tested positive with the virus, after a cameraman was confirmed on Thursday. 

The cable news channel said the driver had not been the news department, and the vehicles he had been in, along with all the equipment he had used, will be disinfected.

There were also 40 to 50 preliminary positives pending confirmation.

Two imported infections were recorded today, both returned from India. 

Asked if the latest wave of the virus has peaked, Chuang said health officials still have to monitor the figures for longer as the average of the daily increase was still high. 

“Although the number of new infections has slightly decreased, the actual number is still very high, and there is no place for complacency on social-distancing rules,” Chuang said. 

She expressed fears for another major outbreak if citizens failed to remain vigilant. 

Lau Ka-hin, the Hospital Authority Chief Manager (Quality & Standards), said 151 patients have been discharged in the past 24 hours, marking a total of 2,755 confirmed or probable cases have recovered. 

Lau said there are currently 1,068 infected patients in 19 public hospitals and isolation facilities, of which 45 are in critical conditions and 51 are severely ill, the remaining 972 people are stable.

The city’s tally now stands at 4,007, which includes 47 deaths.