London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

HK confirms first mutant strain case in community

HK confirms first mutant strain case in community

Hong Kong has confirmed the first Covid-19 infection with a mutant strain in the community, as health officials logged 18 new cases today.
Eight of the fresh cases were locally transmitted while the other 10 were imported.

The 29-year-old asymptomatic man, a carrier of the N501Y strain, was among the six untraceable local infections detected today.

Dr. Chuang Shuk-kwan of the Centre for Health Protection said the patient had landed in Hong Kong from Dubai in mid-March and have been living with a female friend in Parkes Building in Jordan since April 8, after completing a 21-day quarantine at a hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui.

The man was screened again on Thursday as he had planned to return Dubai the next day, but tested positive for the virus with a low CT value at 15 to 17.

Chuang said the man had been to various premises during his incubation period, including an Indian restaurant in Chong King Mansions and two banks on Nathan Road, where staffers have been ordered to take virus tests.

He also took the MTR and ferry to Cheung Chau and dined at a seafood eatery there on April 4.

Workers and travelers who had been to the Ramada Hong Kong in Tsim Sha Tsui, where the man had stayed in isolation, were also subjected to mandatory screening.

Authorities are still trying to identify the source of his infections, it remained unclear whether he caught the virus at the airport or in the community.

“He either had already got the infection in Dubai coupled with a long incubation period and those tests in the hotel couldn’t detect his infection. The other possibility is that he acquired the infection after arrival in Hong Kong, either in the flight, in the airport, in the hotel… these are all the possibilities that we have to examine,” Chuang said in a daily press briefing.

“And the third possibility is that after quarantine he went to the community, so he might get the infection from the community.”

Four of the remaining untraceable cases live in Tuen Mun, including an instructor, a cook, a taxi driver and a student.

Among the new imported cases today, four were also found to be carrying the N501Y strain, bringing the city’s number of cases involving mutant variants to 221. Ninety-three were from Britain, 27 were from South Africa and the other 17 were from unknown sources.

Health authorities have ramped up the toughest measure in efforts to keep the variant strain at bay, by sending 81 residents of 17-23 Parkes Street to quarantine centers for 21 days in an overnight lockdown at the building.

“The CHP decided to carry out prudent measures on infection control and prevention to arrange compulsory quarantine for asymptomatic residents of all units on all floors of Parkes Building, so as to stop the potential risk of spread of N501Y mutant strain,” a government spokesman said in a statement.

The city is also seeing around 20 preliminary-positive cases pending confirmation, most of which were imported.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×