Police are tracking down close to 100 people who came in contact with a mainland Chinese sex worker who earlier tested positive for COVID-19.
HK01 reported on Monday that the police are attempting to locate the woman’s close contacts, including people who may have engaged in sexual services with her, to urge them to get tested.
Police are reviewing relevant CCTV footage and phone records, as well as contacting brothel workers, the local outlet reported.
The 42-year-old woman was arrested in Mong Kok last during a police undercover operation targeting suspected prostitutes. She is reportedly from Guizhou and was smuggled to Hong Kong illegally by boat in August.
The woman worked out of a brothel in Tai Wai until Oct. 26 when she transferred to Oriental Lander Hotel in Mong Kok, where she was later arrested.
Professor David Hui, a professor at Chinese University and an advisor to the government’s COVID-19 response, said in an interview with HK01 that it would be difficult to track down clients who had engaged in services with the woman as they may not come forward. He also noted that sex workers may not keep records of their clients.
Authorities fear a potential cluster outbreak might be underway as the woman is believed to have been in intimate contact with a large number of clients during the 14-day incubation period prior to her arrest.
At Ma Tau Kok Detention Center, where she was held, she began experiencing a sore throat and was later confirmed with COVID-19 on Sunday. The source of her infection is unknown.
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