The 42-year-old surveyor was confirmed with
Covid-19 on Wednesday, and was listed as a preliminary case with untraceable source of infection a day before. It was first such case in the Omicron outbreak.
But Yuen said his source of transmission has been identified as Six Garden Restaurant in Tin Hau, meaning Hong Kong does not have any untracable cases anymore.
The surveyor ate breakfast at the same time as the flight attendant's 62-year-old mother, who was seated at another table with two friends.
At that time, the restaurant did not turn on an air ventilator, Yuen said after inspecting the restaurant.
“The female Cathay crew member transmitted the
coronavirus to her mother, who then spread the virus to her friends and the surveyor,” Yuen said.
The flight attendant and the mother have been confirmed with the
coronavirus. The mother's two friends who ate breakfast with her also tested preliminary positive on Wednesday, as well as one friend's husband.
Although health officials have managed to trace the sources of all confirmed cases so far, Yuen said the tightened anti-pandemic measures against the Omicron variant are still necessary.
“For the majority of the cases, the virus was transmitted at environments where people do not wear their masks, for example restaurants, bars and fitness centers," he said.
Chuang Shuk-kwan, Head of the Communicable Disease Branch of the Center for Health Protection, called on citizens and neighbors who had been to Six Garden Restaurant in Tin Hau from 8.50am to 9.50am on December 31, 2021 to contact health official as soon as possible.
She added authorities are still tracing the a dozen of diners sitting nearby.
In an earlier press conference, authorities said the surveyor passes Victoria Park every day when he goes to work. He was around 20 meters away from the flight attendant's mother who was dancing there with a group of friends.
“There are many people passing by and exercising at Victoria Park. They have a high risk of being exposed to the
coronavirus,” controller of the Centre for Health Protection Edwin Tsui Lok-kin warned.
Cleaners disinfected the floors of the park at night.
Health authorities announced 38 new
Covid-19 cases, among whom 31 carried the N501Y and T478K strains – indicators that they are likely to be Omicron cases.
Among them, 34 were imported cases, including three aircrew and 14 domestic helpers who arrived in Hong Kong on New Year's Day.
