A 66-year-old woman without a recent travel history has reportedly tested positive for COVID-19, marking the first time in 23 days that Hong Kong has recorded a locally transmitted case of the virus.
Health officials have repeatedly stated that they would consider the chain of local cases broken after the city recorded 28 days — or two incubation periods — without any local transmissions.
No coronavirus briefing was held today, as the Center for Health Protection issued a statement at 4pm that no local coronavirus cases had been recorded in the past 24 hours.
However, local media outlets are reporting that the New Territories West branch of the Hospital Authority received a notification this evening that a 66-year-old woman with no travel history or any known contact with confirmed COVID-19 patients had contracted the virus.
According to multiple reports, the woman developed a fever, runny nose, and cough last Friday and left a deep throat saliva sample at an outpatient clinic in Kwai Chung the next day. She has reportedly been sent to Princess Margaret Hospital after her sample tested positive for COVID-19.
The woman, who resides at Lei Muk Shue Estate in Tsuen Wan, is believed to have at least two close contacts.
