Hong Kong’s construction sites could be Covid-19 transmission hotspots, experts say, but blanket work stoppages are unlikely to help

Shared facilities at construction areas could be coronavirus transmission hotspots, health experts have warned, though they stopped short of calling for work suspensions, even as a third outbreak tied to the sites was recorded on Wednesday. Some of the city’s major developers, including New World Development, had previously halted work at their construction sites at the beginning of the pandemic in February, citing concerns over the health and safety of their workers. However, work at other sites has continued, even as the city battles its fourth wave of coronavirus infections. On Wednesday, Hong Kong recorded 104 new infections, among them a construction worker at the Tseung Kwan O-Lam Tin tunnel. Five of his colleagues have also tested preliminary-positive. The new cases prompted health authorities to order compulsory testing for 1,500 other workers at the site. “So far all of those infected are bar benders, but they worked different shifts, so we are still counting the number of close contacts, and urge workers to get tested,” said Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan, head of the communicable disease branch of the Centre for Health Protection. “The construction workers could have been using cargo containers as a place to change, so there could be transmission there,” she added, noting authorities had ordered the site to halt operations temporarily. The Lam Tin tunnel outbreak is the third one at a construction site since the fourth wave began, coming after more than 50 people were infected at building projects at Lohas Park and Kai Tak. The possible transmissions in shared changing rooms also recalled a similar outbreak at the Kwai Tsing Container Terminals in August, where makeshift dormitories had been set up in windowless containers. That cluster eventually grew to 77 infections in total. Dr Leung Chi-chiu, a respiratory medicine specialist, agreed that construction sites were at high risk of Covid-19 transmission. “Because of the working environment or rest facilities, those workers might not wear masks properly at work. The risk is indeed higher,” Leung said. But he said it was not necessary to suspend work at all construction sites in Hong Kong, as the transmission risks could be brought under control more easily. “The risks are mainly associated with those who can be monitored – workers. They usually are not involved in large-scale social networks,” Leung said, noting that infection-control measures and health surveillance for staff should be adequate to prevent transmission. He questioned whether a temporary work suspension at construction sites would be helpful given the broader situation. “If [the government] cannot get the pandemic under full control, will a suspension for two weeks be useful?” he said. Mandatory testing ordered as Covid-19 clusters grow in Hong Kong Infectious diseases expert Dr Joseph Tsang Kay-yan also said there was no need to shut down all the city’s construction sites. “Of course these break rooms or changing rooms are high-risk areas, as people might take off their masks to change or take showers, and there could be shared items as well,” Tsang said. “I think all places with these kinds of facilities need to step up their guidelines, since it is really hard to predict when outbreaks might happen.” The Civil Engineering and Development Department, which is overseeing the Lam Tin tunnel project, said the contractor there had observed standard prevention measures throughout the pandemic, including temperature checks, mask-wearing and stepped-up disinfection. It added that work at the site would be stopped for two weeks, and that it would follow up with the Centre for Health Protection to see what arrangements it should make going forward. While sites with outbreaks had been told to stop work, Chuang said health authorities would defer to “the relevant bureaus” as to whether other construction sites should also be ordered to halt operations. But a spokeswoman at the Development Bureau said it would be tricky to order private developers to suspend construction, and referred the matter back to the Food and Health Bureau. A spokeswoman for Sun Hung Kai Properties said it currently had no plans to suspend operations at its sites, as they had not seen any recent infections. In July, Sun Hung Kai’s construction site in Kwun Tong suspended work temporarily after two workers there contracted Covid-19. The spokeswoman said the company’s work sites had since adopted all the standard anti-infection measures. Meanwhile, the MTR Corporation, the city’s rail operator, said preventive measures were also in place at its building sites, adding that it had not recorded any infections. It said it would continue to monitor the situation, but work would continue for the time being. The Construction Industry Council said it had been urging contractors to stay alert and maintain good hygiene at building sites. “If there is any confirmed case at a site, the contractor should arrange virus testing for all workers as soon as possible, and should follow up according to the instructions of the Centre for Health Protection,” it said. A spokeswoman for Gammon Construction, the main contractor on the Lohas Park project, said it had immediately evacuated all staff and workers from the site, suspended operations and arranged Covid-19 tests after a worker reported having contracted the coronavirus. “We have a set of precautionary measures in place, including regular site disinfection and cleaning, body temperature monitoring and health declaration at site entrance,” she said. “We also request all staff members and workers wear surgical masks and maintain social distancing on site. We are keeping a close watch on the site situation and are reviewing our precautionary measures from time to time.”