(To watch the full press briefing with sign language interpretation, click here.)
The Centre for Health Protection today said it is investigating two additional imported COVID-19 cases and a preliminary positive local case which is likely to be a re-positive one.
The centre's Communicable Disease Branch Head Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan told a press briefing this afternoon that the preliminary positive local case involves a 43-year-old man who has not been vaccinated against the virus yet.
He worked at construction sites at 248 Queen's Road East and Shiu Kin Lane in Wan Chai, and last worked on August 3.
The patient has tested negative under the regular testing requirement since May. His deep throat saliva sample submitted via regular testing on August 2 preliminarily tested positive with a Ct value of 36 to 38, which indicates a low viral load.
After admission to hospital on August 3, the patient tested positive for COVID-19 antibodies.
Dr Chuang said: “There may be hidden transmission in the community that still had not (been) picked up during the past few weeks, (even) though we had a very high testing rate. This is one possibility that we do not wish to have.
“And the other possibility is that he had the infection quite a few months ago while there was an outbreak in Hong Kong and there were many cases during that period and his infection went undiagnosed.”
The Government will arrange for Block A, Tung Lo Court in Sham Shui Po where the patient lives, his workplaces and the places he had visited during the incubation period to be included in a compulsory testing notice.
Upon assessment and as a precautionary measure, the Government decided to make a restriction-testing declaration for Block A, Tung Lo Court where he lives to ensure the residents there have not been infected.
The declaration took effect from 8pm and people in the area subject to compulsory testing will need to be tested by 1am.
Meanwhile, the centre has received notification from the Macau Health Bureau that a close contact of a COVID-19 confirmed case in Macau - a 13-year-old girl - is currently in Hong Kong.
The girl arrived in Hong Kong with two family members on August 2 under the Return2hk Scheme and they stayed in The Luxe Manor in Tsim Sha Tsui.
Their test results in Macau on August 1 before arriving in Hong Kong were negative.
Given that the confirmed case in Macau carries the Delta mutant strain, as a prudent measure, the premises where the girl and her family members had stayed or visited in Hong Kong will be put under a compulsory testing notice.
The Government also decided to make a restriction-testing declaration for The Luxe Manor to ensure the hotel guests there have not been infected.
The declaration took effect from 8pm and people in the hotel subject to compulsory testing will need to be tested by midnight.
The girl and her two family members have been quarantined immediately.
For information and health advice on COVID-19, visit the Government’s dedicated webpage.
http://dlvr.it/S52FJq
