Secretary for Health Prof Lo Chung-mau today visited Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital to get an update on the service of public hospitals. He toured the hospital’s specialist outpatient clinic, medical ward, accident and emergency department and hyperbaric oxygen therapy centre, followed by a meeting with its management and frontline healthcare staff to learn about the service demands and manpower deployment. Prof Lo said: "Having gone through the anti-epidemic work in the past three years, Hong Kong is on the road to full normalcy. I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to all healthcare staff for their efforts in performing duties and working tirelessly amidst immense work pressure to safeguard the city's healthcare system.” Noting that Hong Kong will see a sharp rise in the number of travellers with the full resumption of normal travel with the Mainland, Prof Lo said the Government will closely monitor the development of the CO
The Centre for Health Protection today said it is investigating seven additional COVID-19 cases, one of which is tentatively classified as a locally transmitted case with an unknown source of infection.
All the new cases are with the L452R mutant strain.
The local case involves a 27-year-old male airline ground crew staff member at Hong Kong International Airport, where he had received cargo flight crews.
He lives with his family at Wan Hang House, Wan Tau Tong Estate in Tai Po.
At a press briefing this afternoon, the centre's Communicable Disease Branch Head Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan explained why they did not rule out the possibility that this case was linked to overseas or imported cases.
“This (COVID-19) patient mainly works at the airport. He also has another (job) at the Uptown Plaza as a customer service assistant. He stayed at home and had interaction with his family and some relatives.
“As we (have not had) any variant (cases involving the L452R mutant strain) in the community so far, we suspect that he had some connection with overseas cases or imported cases.
“So we think that the place where he got the infection is more (than) likely the airport where he worked (at). As for the exact source of infection, it is still under investigation.
“Hopefully, (this) would not start another outbreak. That is why we are putting all his close contacts under quarantine.”
So far, more than 180 people had been put into quarantine, Dr Chuang added.
A total of 26 cases were reported in Hong Kong in the past 14 days, all of which are imported.
For information and health advice on COVID-19, visit the Government’s dedicated webpage.
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