Market-related cases under probe

2020-08-05 04:15:53

(To watch the full press briefing with sign language interpretation, click here.)

The Centre for Health Protection today expressed concern about the possible spread of COVID-19 at two different markets.

The centre?s Communicable Disease Branch Head Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan told reporters at a press briefing this afternoon that workers of four fish stalls in Hung Hom Market and two fish stalls in To Kwa Wan Market have been confirmed as having the virus.

?Because the stalls are quite close to each other, maybe (the cases were) spread by human to human transmission.

?But we are also worried that the environment may have facilitated the transmission of the disease, because we also remember that in a Wuhan wet market and also in a Beijing wet market they had similar findings in their seafood markets. So we are worried about whether a similar environment has occurred in Hong Kong."

Due to this concern, the centre has asked Hong Kong University Chair of Infectious Diseases Prof Yuen Kwok-yung to carry out an inspection in the two markets and offer advice on anti-epidemic measures.

Dr Chuang said: "We invited Prof Yuen Kwok-yung and discussed with him as to whether he wanted to (conduct) a site visit and take some environmental samples for further investigation (before giving) us advice on how to prevent and control infection transmission in these wet markets."

There were 80 additional confirmed cases of COVID-19 reported today, of which 75 are locally transmitted. Forty-three of them are linked to other cases while 32 are those with unknown infection sources.

Additionally, the Hospital Authority reported that 1,298 confirmed COVID-19 patients are currently hospitalised and 2,141 confirmed and suspected patients have been discharged.

For information and health advice on COVID-19, visit the Government's dedicated webpage.

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