February 2, 2021

The Centre for Health Protection today said it is investigating 25 additional COVID-19 cases, of which 24 are locally transmitted.

At a press briefing this afternoon, the centre's Communicable Disease Branch Head Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan said among the local cases, four have unknown sources of infection and the buildings in Chai Wan, Tseung Kwan O, Yuen Long and Tuen Mun where the four patients live have to be included in the compulsory testing notice.

Dr Chuang also reported that five confirmed cases and one preliminary positive case have been detected in a group of 11 people who joined a private gathering. As three of them work at the Langham Place branch of Uniqlo in Mong Kok, all of the store's staff must undergo compulsory virus testing.

“For the Langham Place (Uniqlo cases), the exact source of infection, just like the other unlinked local cases, we do not know yet.

“We suspect a gathering may be the cause of the spread of infection among the friends. As three of them work in the same place, either full-time or part-time, we suspect there may be still the possibility of some silent transmission in the workplace, so we will ask all the workers at that workplace to undergo testing.”

She advised customers who had visited the store to take a virus test if they were concerned.

“We have no evidence that there is a spread of the virus to the clients visiting the shop. That is why we will not issue a compulsory testing order for them. But of course, for the general public, if they are worried or they have symptoms, they should go for testing.”

Dr Chuang added that among the linked cases, the Hong Kong International Airport Three-runway System construction site cluster has recorded five more cases, including one worker and four close contacts.

With the sewage samples of Blocks 1 and 4 of Whampoa Garden in Hung Hom testing positive, the two residential buildings are also included in today’s compulsory testing notice.

Additionally, the Government published on January 18 a compulsory testing notice on Kensington Plaza, 98 Parkes Street in Yau Ma Tei. As it is possible that the incubation period of the virus could be long, the relevant people have to undergo a second test.

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