A Cathay Pacific crew member who had lunch with family members at a restaurant during home isolation period is suspected to have passed the Omicron virus to his father and a diner at another table, triggering fears that the fifth wave of Covid-19 outbreak has started in Hong Kong.
The father and the diner tested preliminary positive for the virus on Thursday. It is the first time that the highly contagious Omicron variant is suspected to have been transmitted in the community.
The aircrew returned to the SAR from the United States on Christmas Day. He took public transportation to Festival Walk in Kowloon Tong on Monday, where he went to an Apple Store to fix his phone and had lunch with two family members at Moon Palace, before he was confirmed infected on Wednesday.
The Moon Palace restaurant closed early at 3pm today. Health officials also arrived at the restaurant in the afternoon for inspection and collection of environmental samples.
Employees at the restaurant were sent to the Penny’s Bay quarantine center as well.
The Wing Chak House at Chak On Estate in Shek Kip Mei, was cordoned off from 7pm tonight and all residents were required to undergo
Covid-19 tests before 1am Friday. The lockdown is expected to end at 7am.
At around 10pm tonight, government also locked down Block A of Hoi Tao Building on Belcher's Street in Kennedy Town. All residents must undergo compulsory testing by 1.30am Friday, while the lockdown is expected to be lifted at 7am.
Meanwhile, the government will put Belarus, Curaçao and Vietnam as Group A specified places from January 2 midnight due to detection of Omicron cases there.
Non-Hong Kong residents who have stayed there within 21 days will not be allowed to enter Hong Kong. Hong Kong residents can only board a flight for Hong Kong if they have been fully vaccinated and hold a recognized vaccination record. They will have to undergo compulsory quarantine in a designated quarantine hotel for 21 days upon their return.
