Explainer | Can you catch Covid-19 on the MTR? Here’s what Hong Kong rail giant is doing to ward off virus in light of recent transmission

The railway giant has stepped up its cleaning measures, with trains and stations being disinfected more regularly

Last week, MTR Corp dispatched 10 robots to deep clean Mei Foo station after a recent transmission in the area

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People wait for the train at Admiralty MTR station. Photo: Handout

Published: 11:00am, 27 Jan 2022Updated: 1:52pm, 27 Jan 2022

Concerns are growing over possible Covid-19 transmissions in Hong Kong’s busy railway stations, after a recent infection occurred at Mei Foo amid an escalating outbreak of the Omicron coronavirus variant.

Officials said last week that a short-range airborne transmission had taken place when two Omicron patients went through the same tunnel exit at the station nine seconds apart from a kindergarten teacher, despite all of them wearing facial coverings.

The incident has led to questions on whether the MTR Corporation, which carries an average of 3.5 million passengers per day, is well equipped to protect passengers against the highly transmissible Omicron variant.

The Post explores what the MTR Corp is doing to ward off the virus.

A robot conducts deep cleaning and disinfection at Mei Foo MTR station. Photo: Sam Tsang

1. What basic measures has the MTR Corp put in place to prevent Covid-19 infections?

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