Royal Garden Hotel evacuated after 3 more staff test positive for COVID-19

The Royal Garden Hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui. (SCREENSHOT: Google Maps)

A five-star hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui evacuated its guests on Friday, Oct. 9 afternoon after health authorities confirmed three more coronavirus infection cases from its staff members.

The Royal Garden, on its website, said they were informed by the Centre for Health Protection on Oct. 8 that a total of four staff members working there have tested positive for the virus which causes coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

Dr. Chuang Shuk-kwan, head of the Communicable Disease Branch of the Centre for Health Protection, said in a press briefing that the three new cases of infection—a kitchen worker in a coffee shop, a machine operator, and a waiter at the hotel’s Italian restaurant Sabatini—were among the eight new cases in Hong Kong.

All three, as well as the previously confirmed case who worked as a waiter in the hotel’s Vietnamese restaurant, were found to have used the hotel staff’s male changing room.

While over 600 people have already tested negative, the CHP will send the hotel’s 300-strong male uniformed staff to quarantine centres until Oct. 22.

Because of this, the hotel would temporarily suspend operations until Oct. 23. The hotel also said it asked its guests on Friday noon to make way for thorough disinfection.

Three more cases in Hong Kong were linked to previous infections—one of which was a visitor at the China Secret bar in Tsim Sha Tsui. A string of recent COVID-19 infections was linked to the bar.

Undersecretary for Food and Health Chui Tak-yi said mobile testing centres will be available in Lan Kwai Fong, Tsim Sha Tsui, and Wan Chai during the weekend in light of the increasing number of COVID-19 cases linked to the bar and restaurant industry.

The lone imported case was a returnee from India, who flew in on Oct. 5.

A 25-year-old male was the sole COVID-19 case with an unknown source of infection recorded today. He lives in 108 Ki Lung Street in Prince Edward and normally had yum cha with his family.

Hong Kong has recorded 5,170 COVID-19 cases to date.

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