Authorities have confirmed over the weekend that 10 people, nine of whom come from the same family, have contracted the Wuhan coronavirus, bringing the total number of cases in Hong Kong to 36.
In a statement published just before midnight, the Centre for Health Protection said that the nine relatives are aged 22 to 91, while the other case is a 70-year-old man.
The CHP said that a preliminary investigation found that neither the 70-year-old man, nor the family member suspected of infecting the others had travel outside Hong Kong during the incubation period, which means the infection was locally transmitted.
The a 70-year-old, who lives in Ngau Chi Wan in Kowloon, went to seek medical attention after developing a cough, shortness of breath, chills, and diarrhoea around the end of January. On Saturday he was admitted for isolation and management at the United Christian Hospital, where he tested positive.
His wife, son, daughter-in-law, grandson, granddaughter and domestic worker are asymptomatic and will be quarantined.
The first of the nine family members to fall ill lives on Lockhart Road in Wan Chai, and developed a fever and a cough on January 30, and went to seek medical attention on several occasions. On Saturday, he was admitted at Ruttonjee Hospital for isolation and management, and tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
An investigation found that on January 26 he had a hotpot party with 18 relatives at the Lento Party Room in Kwun Tong to celebrate Lunar New Year.
Eight of his relatives — including his parents, grandmother, aunts, and cousins — were admitted for isolation at Ruttonjee and Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern hospitals after testing positive. The statement goes on to say that two more relatives have subsequently shown symptoms are are undergoing tests at Prince of Wales Hospital.
According to HK01, Lento Party Room confirmed that none of their staff had shown symptoms, but that the party room would be shut temporarily and all staff have been put on home quarantine for 14 days. CHP personnel were also at the party room yesterday to investigate.
The news comes after officials confirmed on Friday evening that two men — a 58-year-old from Zhuhai and a 48-year-old man from Fo Tan — had also tested positive, becoming the 25th and 26th confirmed cases.
In other news, 3,600 passengers and crew who were quarantined on a cruise ship since Wednesday were allowed off the ship yesterday afternoon after everyone aboard tested negative, RTHK reports.
The quarantine began on Wednesday after it emerged that a few mainland passengers on a previous journey aboard the vessel subsequently tested positive for the Wuhan coronavirus.
