The SUN HK : 9 newly arrived Filipina DHs among 18 new coronavirus cases

By Daisy CL Mandap

6 of the Filipinas took Cebu Pacific Air, but on 2 separate dates

Nine Filipina domestic helpers are among 18 new cases of coronavirus infections recorded in Hong Kong today, Mar. 22. Six of them had the highly infectious N501Y variant.

According to the CHP’s Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan, 11 of the new cases were imported, and nine were new arrivals from the Philippines, one from Indonesia and another from Pakistan.

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Six of the Filipinas arrived on Mar 20, three on board Philippine Airlines flight PR 300 and the other three, on Cebu Pacific flight 5J272. All tested positive at the airport.

Three others flew in on Mar 9 aboard flight 5J 272 and tested positive on their 12^th day in hotel quarantine.

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Chuang said the two other imported cases were an Indonesian domestic worker who also tested positive at HK Airport, and a returning resident from Pakistan who was found infected on his 19^th day in quarantine, and also carried the mutated virus.

She said there are about 10 preliminary positive cases today, and most of them are imported.

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Today’s imported case with their flight details and visa status are listed as follows:

Case Number	Arrival Date	Flight Number	Air crew/Sea w/Sea Crew /Domestic helper ?	Mmutated virus (N501Y) spotted
11381	20/3/2021	5J272	Domestic helper	Yes
11382	20/3/2021	5J272	Domestic helper	No
11383	20/3/2021	PR300	Domestic helper	Yes
11384	20/3/2021	PR300	Domestic helper	Yes
11385	20/3/2021	PR300	Domestic helper	Yes
11386	20/3/2021	SQ882	Domestic helper	No (Indo)
11392	20/3/2021	5J272	Domestic helper	Yes
11393	1/3/2021	EK384	No	Yes (Pak)
11395	9/3/2021	5J272	Domestic helper	Yes
11396	9/3/2021	5J272	Domestic helper	No
11397	9/3/2021	5J272	Domestic helper	No

Exactly a week ago, nine newly arrived Filipinas were also found to have Covid-19. Five all flew together from Manila aboard Cathay Pacific Airways, prompting Hong Kong authorities to suspend the airline for two weeks in line with anti pandemic protocols.

Meanwhile Chuang said that of the seven local cases, five were linked to the outbreak at Ursus Fitness in Sai Ying Pun, and were detected at the quarantine centers.

5 of the new local cases were detected in quarantine centers

They brought the total number of cases from that cluster to 147, comprising 8 staff, 93 customers and 46 close contacts.

The two other cases had unknown sources, including a parttime taxi driver who plied the Hong Kong and Kowloon routes. Chuang said his passengers who used the LeaveHomeSafe app and have been notified should go for testing immediately.

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Another is a clerk at a Cha Kwo Ling construction site. More than 100 people who work at the site will be ordered to test for Covid-19 while 10 others who work in the same office as the patient will be sent to quarantine centers.

Of the preliminary cases, one involving an 88-year-old man is causing concern as he appears to have eaten in a Chinese restaurant in Lam Tin where two other customers were recently found infected. He also lives in a public housing building as one of the two earlier patients.