Daily Covid cases return to single digits

The Centre for Health Protection reported nine new coronavirus cases on Monday, the first time since November that Hong Kong has seen its daily figure drop into single digits.

But officials called for vigilance, warning that the figure could rebound after the Lunar New Year holidays come to an end.

“Usually after long vacations, and after these kind of gatherings, we usually see some form of upsurge, so we would not rule out the possibility of the number of cases coming up again,” said Dr Ronald Lam, the controller of the centre.

He explained that gatherings, as well as fewer medical consultations over the holiday, could affect how the epidemic goes.

“So we need to observe that trend and be very, very cautious,” Lam said.

He also called on people returning to work on Tuesday to be careful, noting that there had been a number of workplace related clusters.

Four of the newly-confirmed patients were infected locally, all but one of them via an unknown source, including a baker.

But the Centre for Health Protection says the transmission risk for customers of the bakery, at Tuen Mun V City, is low.

“He mainly worked inside the kitchen baking bread, so he normally did not have any direct contact with customers,” said Dr Albert Au from the centre.

The remaining patients were newly-arrived domestic helpers, a traveller from Poland, and a seafarer arriving from India.

Health authorities also said there were fewer than 10 preliminary positive cases.

Among them is an eight-year-old girl, a 39-year-old housewife, and a firefighter.