The Centre for Health Protection today said it is investigating six additional imported COVID-19 cases, five of which involve mutant strains while the remaining case’s viral load is insufficient for mutation tests.
The four patients who flew in from the UK and Pakistan via the United Arab Emirates (UAE) were found positive for the virus upon arrival at Hong Kong International Airport.
The other two patients who arrived from the US and Pakistan via Turkey tested positive during quarantine.
One of the patients is a 27-year-old woman who lives at Winning House in Sheung Wan. She departed Hong Kong on November 7 for the UK after testing negative for COVID-19 on November 6.
She returned on November 21 from the UK via flight VS206 and her specimen collected upon arrival at the airport tested positive for COVID-19.
She was asymptomatic. Her Ct value is less than 30 and her specimen carried the L452R mutant strain.
She works on the 37th floor, International Commerce Centre in Tsim Sha Tsui, and last went to work on November 3.
As a prudent measure, the places where she resided, worked and visited in Hong Kong during the incubation period had been included in a compulsory testing notice.
Separately, passenger flights from Dubai, the UAE and Bangkok, Thailand operated by Emirates are prohibited from landing in Hong Kong from November 23 to December 6.
The prohibition was imposed as an Emirates passenger flight EK384 arriving on November 21 from the two cities had three passengers confirmed to have COVID-19 by arrival testing.
In view of a previous imported case who had stayed in Hong Kong during the incubation period, those who had been present at one specified premises during the specified period must undergo additional testing.
Additionally, five schools are covered in the compulsory testing notice due to an outbreak of upper respiratory tract infection or influenza-like illness.
Mobile specimen collection stations will be set up in various districts tomorrow to provide free testing service for people subject to compulsory testing.
A total of 36 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.
http://dlvr.it/SD4x9g
