More Covid cases linked to flight attendant’s mother

A coronavirus cluster linked to the infected mother of a flight attendant further expanded on Thursday, with at least two retirees and a foreign domestic helper testing preliminary positive for the virus.

One of them is a 73-year-old woman who danced with the flight attendant’s mother in Causeway Bay on New Year’s Eve.

A 63-year-old man who went to a restaurant in Causeway Bay around the same time as the mother on December 30 has also tested preliminary positive. Officials said the two were seated at nearby tables.

A 67-year-old housewife who lives in Happy Valley has also tested preliminary positive.

The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) said it is investigating whether the housewife is linked to the dance cluster. The woman told the authorities that she had a meal with some dance friends on New Year’s Day. Officials are still checking whether there were any confirmed cases or close contacts of patients at the meal.

The CHP earlier reported that the mother had infected a friend’s Indonesian domestic helper who lives in Causeway Bay.

Officials said contact tracing has since led to the discovery of another preliminary positive case, involving an Indonesian helper who lives in Tai Po. The two helpers attended the same church on January 2.

The centre’s Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan said officials are trying to track down other people who were at the church.

“We’re tracing the churchgoers on Jan 1 and 2. That amounts to tens of people so we’re a bit worried because they might have already spread the infections to their employers and other friends,” she said.

Chuang also raised concerns about the virus being transmitted among unvaccinated elderly people.

“They have had quite some activities… gatherings for exercise. Some of them had meals together. These are the occasions that the infections may have spread. That’s why we’re a bit worried,” she said.

“We noted that some cases are not vaccinated. So we appeal to the public especially the elderly to get vaccinated as soon as possible.”

In all, the CHP reported 33 coronavirus cases on Thursday, including 28 imported infections.