By The SUN
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| The elderly patient died at Queen Mary Hospital shortly after being transferred from AsiaWorld |
Hong
Kong health officials have reported 104 new coronavirus infections as of today,
Dec 9, pushing up the total tally to 7,180.
The officials also reported the death of an 85-year-old patient at Queen Mary Hospital at 3:36 pm today, just over an hour after she was transferred from the community treatment facility at AsiaWorld-Expo. She became Hong Kong’s 111th fatality from the virus.
Meanwhile, the Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced it will close all public beaches and leisure facilities from tomorrow until further notice. The venues were reopened after an extended closure due to an uptick in coronavirus cases only about five weeks ago.
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| Pindutin para sa detalye |
Among those to be shut are tennis and badminton courts, all indoor sports facilities and stadiums, public libraries and museums.
Along with the announcement of today’s new infections, health officials said residents of two housing blocks hit by a number of Covid-19 cases have been told to undergo testing.
These were identified as block 8 of the Kwai Shing West Estate in Kwai Chung, and Kam Wai House at Kam Fung Court in Ma On Shan.
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Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan from the Centre for Health Protection ruled out locking down the two buildings under a law passed only yesterday, saying that would be pointless as some residents had already left their homes.
“We don’t know if those who left have been tested, therefore we need to give mandatory testing order so people would treat this matter seriously,” she said.
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| Chuang ruled out sealing the two residential blocks, saying some residents might have already left |
As of today, four more cases were linked to Kwai Shing West, raising the total number of infections to 22. All residents of block 8 who stayed more than two hours at the premises on Nov 18 have been told to undergo testing.
Residents of block C of Kam Wai House, Kam Fung Court who spent more than 2 hours in the premised on Nov 19 will also have to undergo compulsory virus testing.
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| PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE |
Of today’s new cases, 99 were locally acquired, and 5 were imported. A third, or 35, of the cases are of unknown source. More than 60 preliminary positive cases were also detected.
Three of the newly arrived patients were returning residents from the United Kingdom, one female and two males; while one is a sea crew who traveled from Romania, then Qatar. CHP staff say they are still checking the details of the 5th patient.
The notable cases mentioned by Dr Chuang in today’s press briefing included 12 new infections linked to the dance group cluster, six of which were also connected to the Ho Yuk Ching Willow Lodge. There are now 690 cases in this cluster, the biggest by far.
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Another was a new case at Hall 5 of AWE where 13 employees who had looked after quarantined residents of a facility for the mentally handicapped have tested positive so far.
One more CHP staff was also found infected today, raising the number of cases there to 4.
At the Yata Supermarket in Shatin, one more employee tested positive today, raising the total number of confirmed cases to 4, and preliminary cases to 6. Staff who worked on the first and second floors of the supermarket after Nov 28 have been ordered to get themselves tested.
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One case was each detected at Pak Lok Nursing Home in San Po Kong and the Fong Shu Chuen Day Activity Centre.
Among the unlinked cases, one worked on the third floor of the Jockey Club Tuen Mun Home for the Aged Blind, and three of his colleagues and 13 residents will have to be tested.
Another was a nurse who worked at the privately-run Obstetrics and Gynecology Centre in Central. Her close contacts will be quarantined.
Also among them is a staff member of Chi Lin Nunnery Home for the Elderly in Diamond Hill who was found infected from mandatory testing. She mainly worked on the third floor, where staff looked for the elderly residents. Three employees and five residents need to undergo testing, while sample bottles have been distributed to others in the care home.
Among the preliminary cases were five steel fixers at a construction site at the Tseung Kwan O – Lam Tin Tunnel. Six of their fellow workers at the site have been told to undergo testing.
Another was a patient at Prince of Wales hospital who was admitted on Nov 31 for diarrhea and low blood pressure. He earlier tested negative for the virus, but was found preliminary positive on Dec 8.
Ten other patients who were listed as his close contacts had tested negative. Six others who stayed in the ward with him are now being trace. Several family members of the patients have also been classified as close contacts and will be quarantined.
Meanwhile, Dr Sara Ho, a chief manager at the Hospital Authority said that as of 9am today, 1,149 confirmed patients were being treated in 22 public hospitals and the AWE facility. Among them, 39 are in critical condition, 58 in serious condition, and 1,052 are stable.
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PADALA NA!
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