Two restaurants latest Covid-19 hotspots

The Fulum Restaurant in Tuen Mun Central Square and the Victoria Harbour Restaurant in the Metropark Hotel Mongkok have become the latest hotspots for Covid-19.

At least 12 customers have fallen sick with the coronavirus.

They were among 73 Covid-19 cases confirmed yesterday, taking Hong Kong's tally to 1,959, with 12 deaths.

Another 46 people listed as testing positive for the virus on a preliminary basis yesterday will go into today's case list.

Of the 73 confirmed cases, 39 were linked to previous local infections, 27 were from unknown local sources and seven were imported.

Chuang Shuk-kwan, the head of communicable diseases at the Centre for Health Protection, said six infected customers at the Fulum were from three separate groups of friends and family who ate there on the same day, but the six from the Victoria Harbour had gone to the restaurant on different days.

It seemed the two establishment had suffered environmental contamination or there were "silent carriers" among staffers, Chuang said. "We have asked both to close for disinfection," she added.

"We will also test all employees to see if there are asymptomatic cases."

Chuang said two new patients from the Fulum went to a birthday party of 10 to 20 tables, each with eight people, on July 11.

Center investigators then found four previously diagnosed patients had been to the Fulum that day.

One of the patients from the Fulum cluster said a relative, a 54-year-old man, had been admitted to the Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital in Chai Wan for an appendectomy on July 13.

"After the surgery he did not show any respiratory symptoms but suffered from a low fever," said Hospital Authority executive Linda Yu Wai-ling.

That prompted doctors to run tests on him and results came back positive for Covid-19

Medics had worn proper protective gear when caring for the patient, Yu added, and 10 patients sharing the same ward have been listed as close contacts.

Five were being moved to isolation wards and five who were discharged will go to quarantine centers.

On the Victoria Harbour cluster, Chuang said three of the cases diagnosed yesterday had been there with friends and family on different days - July 10, 13 and 15. Some attended a birthday party with singing and dancing.

Three other people who tested positive for the virus yesterday had been among 19 members of a family who dined at the Chiuchow Garden in Kwai Fong's Metroplaza.

That took the number of cases in the family to eight.

And after dinner they went to one family member's home in Block 3 of the Lai King Disciplined Services Quarters.

Cho Yiu district councilor Choi Nga-man noted that Block 3 is for police officers. And the party was a retirement celebration for a sergeant living there.

But the sergeant had not shown signs of the contracting the coronavirus, and Chuang said none of the eight cases was a police officer.

Private doctor Chan Kai-ming of the Kind Medical Centre in Causeway Bay was also confirmed with the infection after a 46-year-old patient diagnosed on Sunday visited his clinic earlier.

Chan fell ill on Saturday but during the incubation period went to the Care and Services Elderly Home (North Point) on Jupiter Terrace to visit two residents. They were also being tested.

And a part-time taxi driver who had been to the Superstar Live Music Lounge in Tsim Sha Tsui also has Covid-19.

Chuang also said some of yesterday's cases from unknown sources live in Tsz Wan Shan or went to mahjong clubs in Sham Shui Po.

Yu said eight Covid-19 patients were discharged yesterday, taking the number of recovered to 1,302.

Among 562 patients still being treated in 14 hospitals, 23 were in critical condition, 13 serious and 526 stable.