Two gatherings helped spread Covid variant: CHP

Health authorities on Wednesday said their latest investigation found how a mutated strain of coronavirus has possibly spread in Hong Kong.

The Centre for Health Protection found a possible link between the infection of a man who flew in from Dubai in March and three foreign domestic helpers who came down with Covid-19 recently, all of whom have contracted the same mutated strain of coronavirus, N501Y.

Officials previously said they couldn’t find any link among the cases.

The centre said after extensive contact tracing, it found that the man from Dubai and his friend attended a family gathering at a public housing flat in Chai Wan on April 13.

Three people who were at the Chai Wan gathering then attended a get-together at a flat in Sham Shui Po on April 18 which the three helpers were present.

The trio, who came down with the infection subsequently, work in Tung Chung, Kornhill and Pok Fu Lam. Hundreds of households at the residential buildings where they live have been sent to quarantine.

Authorities have also put under quarantine those who attended the two gatherings, and anyone who’s been to the two buildings in Chai Wan and Sham Shui Po in the past three weeks are required to get tested for Covid-19.

The centre added that two of those who joined the gatherings work at Urban Bakery Works and Oliver’s the Delicatessen in Central, and anyone who’s been to these two shops will have to be tested.