A rapidly growing COVID-19 gym cluster is threatening to upend the city’s progress in keeping infection counts down, with 60 new cases—the highest since late January— confirmed on Friday.
Among them, 47 are linked to the cluster, which originated at Ursus Fitness, a gym in the Sai Ying Pun neighborhood.
The new infections bring the number of cases linked to the gym outbreak to 64.
“We can say this is a super-spreading event,” David Hui, a Chinese University professor who advises the government on its pandemic control measures, told RTHK.
Hui said the outbreak could portend the start of Hong Kong’s fifth COVID-19 wave, an echo of the cluster involving dance studios that triggered the city’s fourth outbreak in December. Ultimately, over 730 patients’ infections were traced back to the group, making it by far the largest cluster in the city.
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Dr. Chuang Shuk-kwan, head of the Center for Health Protection’s Communicable Disease Branch, said authorities have identified over 20 preliminary cases, “most” of which are linked to the gym outbreaks.
She added that a small number of second-generation transmissions has been observed.
The surge in cases comes after the government permitted gyms and beauty salons to reopen on Feb. 18 under a set of relaxed rules, a loosening of restrictions that was a welcome relief after more than two months of closure.
Late Thursday night, the authorities announced that mask-wearing at gyms would now be compulsory. Previously, only those joining group classes had to keep their masks on.
Under Secretary for Food and Health Chui Tak-yi said on Thursday that the government may consider tightening curbs on the gym industry, including requiring more frequent staff testing or even shutting down all fitness centers again.
Positive cases related to Ursus Fitness have spilled into the city’s schools, banks, and other gyms.
According to Bloomberg, at least three international schools have been closed due to links to positive cases, only weeks after face-to-face teaching resumed for the first time since late November. Both HSBC and Credit Suisse Group AG reported staff members who tested preliminary-positive.
At least six other gyms in Sheung Wan and Central are temporarily closed for deep cleaning and staff testing, including House of Fitness, ONE Personal Training, H.I.T. Personal Training and Strength Culture, authorities said.
