Putting diners on wanted list is ‘last resort’, government adviser says

A health expert on Monday suggested the government tighten its contact tracing methods in view of the Moon Palace Covid cluster, adding that putting diners on a wanted list is a last resort for authorities.

So far five people have tested positive, including the index case of a Cathay Pacific flight attendant. The latest case is a 38-year-old woman who had a meal with her husband at the restaurant in Festival Walk, Kowloon Tong from around 2.30pm to 4pm on December 27.

Speaking on a radio program this morning, government advisor David Hui Shu-cheong said the infected diners were seated far away from each other on that day, which suggested a potential airborne transmission of the virus due to a lack of air ventilation.

The respiratory disease expert said the restaurant’s ceiling-mounted air purifiers could only purify the upper level of air, which the purifiers basically were not functioning.

He also added that most restaurants in the city fall short of the requirement of performing “air change” six times an hour.

Meanwhile, Ho said a single case of untraceable infection could start the city’s fifth wave of Covid infections. However, he did not see a need in tightening social distancing measures or class suspension at the moment.