Restaurant staff among latest Covid patients

Health authorities said on Friday that three restaurant staff were among the latest coronavirus cases recorded in the city.

A cook at a noodle shop in Tai Hang, a worker at a McDonald’s in Central, and a waitress at a Chinese restaurant in Tin Hau have caught the virus.

The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) reported a total of 13 new coronavirus infections, 12 of which were locally acquired. Eight patients were infected via an unknown source.

The CHP’s Albert Au said the high proportion of unlinked infections means the coronavirus situation in Hong Kong is still worrying.

He said some infections acquired during the Lunar New Year holiday might not have emerged yet because of the long incubation period of the disease.

“There is evidence that there are still quite a number of silent transmissions in the community, coupled with a large amount of gatherings among the local population during the Chinese New Year, it is possible that some of the undetected cases may cause ongoing transmission in the community,” Au said.

A Covid outbreak involving firefighters expanded as one more case was reported at Kwai Chung Fire Station, which had already seen seven infections.

The newly infected fireman also worked at Lai King Fire Station, forcing more than 100 people there into quarantine.

More than 10 other people tested preliminary positive for the virus, including an assistant producer at RTHK who works in the Educational Television Centre in Kowloon Tong.

He visited RTHK’s TV House nearby, but didn’t come into contact with a hairstylist there who was earlier confirmed to have the infection.

As a precaution, Au said staff at these two RTHK buildings would be told to get tested for Covid.