Commuters wait at a traffic signal in the Central district of Hong Kong, June 7, 2021. (PHOTO/BLOOMBERG)
HONG KONG – Hong Kong reported 17 imported COVID-19 cases on Friday, including 15 sea crew members, as the government announced the cancelation of this year's National Day fireworks display to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
"In view of the COVID-19 pandemic, the National Day Fireworks Display originally scheduled to be held at Victoria Harbour on October 1 (Friday) has been canceled," the government announced in a statement.
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Fifteen of Friday's new cases involved cargo vessel Thor Monadic that arrived in Hong Kong waters on Aug 24 from Indonesia, said the Centre for Health Protection.
Among the 23 sea crew members on board, 15 of them tested positive for COVID-19 by samples taken on Aug 25.
Fifteen of Friday's 17 new cases involved cargo vessel Thor Monadic that arrived in Hong Kong waters on Aug 24 from Indonesia, said the Centre for Health Protection
The test results by the Department of Health’s Public Health Laboratory Services Branch revealed that all of the patients carry the L452R mutant strain but do not carry the N501Y or E484K mutant genes, the CHP revealed.
The sea crew members had not gone ashore after arriving in Hong Kong. One of the patients developed cough and other symptoms on Aug 20 and all of the patients will be sent to hospital for isolation treatment.
“As a prudent measure, all of the remaining sea crew members of the cargo vessel have to undergo quarantine on board the vessel and conduct tests in accordance with the current arrangement during the quarantine period,” the CHP said in a statement.
The center said an investigation is underway as the operator of the vessel had been suspected of providing false information to the health authorities during the application for free pratique.
“The DH (Department of Health) is carrying out investigation and will seek legal advice from the Department of Justice for the suspected contravention of the Prevention and Control of Disease Regulation (Cap. 599A) by the vessel's operator,” according to the CHP statement.
The remaining two imported cases involved two women from Azerbaijan and Lithuania, respectively.
Over the past 14 days, a total of 52 cases have been reported in the financial hub, including a local case with unknown sources and an import-related case. The city's infection tally stood at 12,094.
Meanwhile, the CHP said a building in Pok Fu Lam and another in Kwun Tong will be put under a compulsory testing notice after being notified by the UK authorities about a positive case involving a woman from Hong Kong.
The woman, 59, departed Hong Kong on Aug 15 for the UK and her pre-departure test conducted on Aug 13 in the city tested negative.
However, her specimen collected on Aug 20 in the UK tested positive for COVID-19 and she remains asymptomatic, the CHP said.
According to the patient, she had received two doses of the BioNTech vaccination on April 12 and May 3 in Hong Kong.
"As a prudent measure, the premises where she had resided (Block A, Sunlight Court, 30 Bisney Road, Pok Fu Lam) and worked (28/F, C-Bons International Center, 108 Wai Yip Street, Kwun Tong) in Hong Kong during the incubation period will be put under a compulsory testing notice," the CHP said.
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Anyone who had been present at the specified premises for more than two hours during the specified period has to undergo compulsory testing on or before the specified dates.
The latest shipment of about 924,000 doses of the Comirnaty vaccine manufactured by BioNTech arrived in Hong Kong on Friday
The city's government has been trying to boost the COVID-19 vaccination rate to reach herd immunity.
Starting from Friday, the walk-in COVID-19 vaccination services were expanded to students aged 12 and above. Same-day tickets will be distributed at 24 Community Vaccination Centres daily from 7:45 am on a first-come, first-served basis. Each student is allowed to have two adults accompany them and receive shots, too, the government said earlier.
Those aged 12 to 17 are required to bring along a consent form signed by their parents for getting vaccinated.
Also on Friday, the latest shipment of about 924,000 doses of the Comirnaty vaccine manufactured by BioNTech arrived in Hong Kong.
The vaccines were filled and finished at a Baxter plant in Germany and the shipment was arranged by Fosun Pharma, the government said.