Eight positive so far, as negative COVID-19 result-rule for sea crew, domestic workers begins

CHP presscon on July 29

A total of eight seafarers and domestic workers with travel history from the Philippines tested positive for the novel coronavirus disease(COVID-19) over a course of two days, health authorities in Hong Kong said.

The Centre for Health Protection said that out of eight imported cases on July 28, seven of whom have travel history from the Philippines. “These include three seafarers, three domestic workers and a Hong Kong citizen, an infant,” Dr. Chuang Shuk-kwan, head of the communicable disease branch of the Centre for Health Protection said.

Case no. 2826 is a one-year-old boy who resided also in Tower 3A, Phase 1, Tung Estate, Ap Tierra Verde in Tsing Yi. It’s the same recorded address for Case no. 2699, a one-year-old girl who tested positive for COVID-19 on July 25.

On July 29, out of the 118 additional confirmed cases, five are imported cases, two of whom are seafarers who came from the Philippines.

The report of the seafarers and domestic workers testing positive for COVID-19 came as Hong Kong started its implementation of tighter health measures for both groups, who were required to show a medical certificate that they tested negative for the deadly disease before they can be allowed to board their flights to Hong Kong.

Cap.599H took effect on July 25 for the foreign domestic workers, while the restriction for sea crew started today, July 29.

Hong Kong has 3,002 confirmed COVID-19 patients as of July 29, 1,527 have been discharged, while 24 have died.