Metropark hotel cluster grows, mass testing scheme uncovers possible transmission as Hong Kong confirms 12 new Covid-19 cases
- Authorities announce a new round of testing at Metropark as infections there climb to four
- The number of confirmed cases uncovered by the mass testing scheme, which seeks to identify invisible coronavirus carriers, now stands at eight
A new Covid-19 cluster surrounding the Metropark Hotel in Mong Kok grew as the city confirmed 12 new cases on Friday, including two newly detected by Hong Kong’s ongoing mass testing scheme.
Officials revealed that one possible hidden transmission chain was uncovered through the scheme after a symptomless patient, who tested positive with a partner, was found to have had contact with a previous confirmed case.
A third of the cases in the latest tally were uncovered through the community-wide screening – two on Friday, and another two – classified as possible infections – from the previous day, taking the total number of coronavirus carriers confirmed under the scheme to eight so far.
Five of Friday’s community cases were imported and two were local transmissions, while the remaining one was a resident of the Metropark, pushing the city’s total confirmed cases to 4,850, with 94 related deaths. Another Metropark guest was also among a handful of people to test preliminary positive on Friday, including some from the citywide testing, pending confirmation.
The new Metropark cases took the total number of infections at the hotel to four.
“So far, residents in three rooms on the same floor are infected and they do not know each other. We are worried there might be a further outbreak,” said Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan, head of the Centre for Health Protection’s communicable disease branch.
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All guests of the hotel would be tested, she said, while nine to 10 rooms would be evacuated, and all cleaning staff serving the floor where the infections were identified would be quarantined.