As Hong Kong records first local coronavirus infection in 10 days, city resets 28-day count to zero
- Locally transmitted case involves a 47-year-old woman, who was a ground crew member of airline Virgin Atlantic
- Respiratory diseases expert David Hui says social-distancing measures should only be eased 28 days after the last local case is recorded
The new cases brought the total to 1,025 and marked the eighth straight day the city recorded only a single-digit increase. The last local case with an unknown source was reported on April 9.
Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan, head of the communicable disease branch of the Centre for Health Protection, said both cases had a history of travel to Britain but only one of the patients was out of town during the infection’s 14-day incubation period.
The local case involved a 47-year-old woman, who was a ground crew member of the airline Virgin Atlantic.
Chuang said the woman was tasked with directing people to connecting rides at the airport to immigration and baggage collection.
She started coughing on April 6, but continued to work until she went to a hospital on Friday.
Chuang said the woman was tested for the virus on Saturday and the infection was confirmed on Sunday. Although the woman visited Britain in February, Chuang noted she was in Hong Kong during the incubation period.