Cluster fears for elderly home amid retests

An elderly home in Shau Kei Wan has become the center of an outbreak cluster fear after an 88-year-old male resident tested "weak positive" for the virus.

This came as a 46-year-old man resident of Healthy Village in North Point also tested "weak positive."

But Chuang Shuk-kwan, head of communicable diseases at the Centre of Health Protection, said retests on both men currently showed they were negative, but more test results were pending.

"Sometimes our experts know something is wrong with some test results. They will retest the same sample to make sure or retake samples," she said.

Chuang said that if the 88-year-old is confirmed to have been infected, health officers would inspect the elderly home at Oi Tung Estate in Shau Kei Wan and make alternative arrangements for residents too infirm to be sent to quarantine centers.

"If he becomes a confirmed case, we'll be very worried as we understand the center has been banning visitors since February 18, which is over 10 days ago," she said. "If so, the source could be from fellow residents or carers."

Chuang said she believed the 46-year-old resident would be cleared.

No new cases were confirmed yesterday, with the SAR's total remaining at 100.

However, one of two probable cases, a 68-year-old woman, returning from the Diamond Princess cruise in Japan last week became a confirmed case yesterday, Chuang said.

She added that the woman from the second charter flight on February 21 carried antibodies for the virus but tested negative, meaning she could have contracted the virus before recovering.

"We did retests and found her to be positive for the virus [yesterday] but we'll need to incubate her samples to see if the coronavirus in her is alive or dead," Chuang said.

Hospital Authority chief manager for clinical effectiveness and technology management Linda Yu Wai-ling said of the 100 patients, 36 had been discharged, while 60 were still being treated. One of the 60 is in a critical condition and three were in serious condition. Two have passed away.

The fears came as health officials dismissed talk that those quarantined in Chun Yeung Estate in Fo Tan had been let out before finishing their two-week quarantine.

More than 20 people left the estate yesterday, 11 days after the first batch of residents began their quarantine.

They were seen lining up for registration at the building's exit before leaving in a government van.

The department said those who left were close contacts of an infected policeman and patients related to the Fook Wai Ching She Buddhist temple in North Point.

They have already gone through two weeks of quarantine since the last day of contact, with the department saying that none were passengers from the Diamond Princess cruise.