Confirmed COVID-19 cases increase to 69 in Hong Kong

Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-22 22:56:14|Editor: Mu Xuequan
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HONG KONG, Feb. 22 (Xinhua) -- A 96-year-old woman was diagnosed with novel coronavirus infection, bringing the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Hong Kong to 69 as of 8:00 p.m. local time on Saturday, Hong Kong's Centre for Health Protection (CHP) said.

The woman, with underlying illness, developed fever and cough since Feb. 13 and sought treatment at a hospital in the east of Hong Kong Island. Her respiratory sample was tested positive for COVID-19 virus and she is now in a stable condition.

According to the CHP's investigations, the patient had no travel history during the incubation period. Her son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter who live with her are asymptomatic and will be arranged for quarantine.

The epidemiological investigations revealed that she and the patient of Hong Kong's 65th confirmed case had both visited a Buddhist temple in North Point area on Hong Kong Island in January and February. The CHP urged those who also had visited the temple during the above period to call the CHP's hotline.

The CHP said its epidemiological investigations and relevant contact tracing on the confirmed cases are ongoing. Quarantine will be arranged for close contacts while medical surveillance will be arranged for other contacts.

At a daily press briefing on Saturday afternoon, head of the CHP's Communicable Disease Branch Chuang Shuk-kwan said that Hong Kong will follow the suggestion of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention to update the definition of close contacts of patients diagnosed with COVID-19.

Under the updated definition, those who come into contact with the patients two days before the patients develop symptoms will also be classified as close contacts, Chuang said.

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