More infections among North Point temple devotees, 130 call health officials

Hong Kong confirmed today that five more people, including two elderly women who visited a North Point temple, are infected with the highly infectious coronavirus.

The two women, a 57-year-old and a 68-year-old  had been to a North Point Buddhist worship hall, the Fook Wai Ching She Buddhist worship hall.

Four had been infected earlier, health officials said.

Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan, the head of the communicable disease branch of the Centre for Health Protection, said health officials had been contacted by 130 people who had been to the temple and 16 are in quarantine. Seven have been taken to hospital

A third case is a close contact of a driver who had visited China.

Two other evacuees of the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Yokohama, Japan, are also infected with the coronavirus, Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan, head of the communicable disease branch of the Centre for Health Protection, said.

The 76th case experienced a sore throat on February 8 and fever two days later and had stayed at the Hong Kong Sanatorium & Hospital for one to two nights. She was admitted to the Ruttonjee Hospital on February 23. The woman had gone to Osaka between January 26 and 31.

The 77th case presented with coughing on Wednesday, visited a private doctor yesterday and was admitted to the Queen Mary Hospital. She lives in North Point.

The 78th and 79th cases are two female passengers, aged 59 and 58, who returned from the cruise ship. The 78th case had coughs and fever while the 79th case had a sore throat on February 4, but was tested negative last Monday.

Two more passengers have tested positive initially.