Hong Kong confirms 4 new coronavirus cases as tourism board issues dire warning for ‘golden week’ holidays
- Tourism boss predicts very low number of mainland visitors during traditional golden-week influx of holidaymakers
- Health officials fear Saturday’s sole local infection was transmitted at a Kowloon bar
Of the city’s new infections, health officials feared the sole local case was transmitted at a Tsim Sha Tsui bar. The 22-year-old infected man studied at the Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education Lee Wai Lee campus in Tseung Kwan O.
While the source of transmission was classified as unknown, Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan, head of the communicable disease branch of the Centre for Health Protection, said officials were “worried whether the bar was the source of the infection”, and warned that risk of transmissions was still lingering in the community.
“There are still some hidden cases in the community. Any increases in social activities may increase the spread; this also includes cross-boundary movements,” Chuang said. “If we reopen the border too early, it might lead to more transmissions.”
Chuang said the health authorities had already contacted the bar in question, which was called China Secret and located in the Lee Chau Commercial Building on Hart Avenue. The operator of the bar would arrange for staff there to undergo testing, she added.
Meanwhile, specimen bottles for testing would be distributed to more than 2,000 students and teachers at the patient’s school, which he last visited on September 29. The site would also be closed for 14 days.
