London Daily

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

Hong Kong reports third Covid-19 case involving ‘Delta Plus’ variant

Hong Kong reports third Covid-19 case involving ‘Delta Plus’ variant

Health experts carry out an investigation at Sheraton Hong Kong Tung Chung Hotel, where two cases had been undergoing quarantine on the same floor.

The second Covid-19 patient in Hong Kong found to be carrying the “Delta Plus” variant probably infected a man in the adjacent hotel room after breathing heavily during exercise and spreading the coronavirus through the air, health experts said on Friday night.

Health officials announced the city’s third case of the more transmissible Delta Plus variant after carrying out an investigation at the Sheraton Hong Kong Tung Chung Hotel, where the patients had been undergoing quarantine on the same floor from November 1 to 6.

The case resulted in an additional 14 days of quarantine for 54 current and former guests who had stayed on the 15th floor in a wing of the Lantau Island hotel. They must serve the extended period in government facilities.

Microbiologist Yuen Kwok-yung.


Experts say Delta Plus, a sub-lineage of the Delta strain, is more transmissible than the original variant.

The second Delta Plus patient, 56, had been staying in room 1515 since arriving from Britain on November 1 and was confirmed as infected with the variant four days later. He had shared a flight from Britain with the city’s first Delta Plus case, a 62-year-old man. They had been seated on the same row.

University of Hong Kong microbiologist Yuen Kwok-yung, who joined the Centre for Health Protection’s investigation, said the British man liked exercising and used a step machine in his room every day, during which he exhaled a large volume of virus.

“We believe the viral load in the [man’s] room was very high,” Yuen said, adding the volume of breath exhaled per minute during intense exercise was eight times more than usual.

His 62-year-old neighbour had checked into room 1517 after arriving from Thailand on October 22.

Their hotel stay overlapped between November 1 and 6. On one occasion, the pair opened their doors to receive their meals at the same time.

Yuen said contaminated air from 1515 was likely to have entered the corridor and the room of the second man, who had admitted he was not wearing a mask.

He was confirmed as infected on Tuesday, the 19th day of his quarantine. Genetic sequences of samples from both men were identical.

Following the findings, the centre urged everyone undergoing quarantine in hotels to request air purifiers when they used training machines in their rooms.

The authorities also reminded people in isolation to wear masks if they opened their doors.

Yuen said the investigation was continuing and they did not rule out other possible causes of transmission.

He also urged the Tung Chung hotel to retrain the staff who sprayed disinfectant in the corridors so it would be applied more appropriately.

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
×