Confirmed COVID-19 cases increase to 53 in Hong Kong

The number of novel coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19) cases in Hong Kong has increased to 53 as of 8pm local time on Thursday, after three new case were confirmed, Hong Kong's Centre for Health Protection (CHP) said.

One of the additional cases involves a 43-year-old man who has good past health and lives in Hong Kong's Tuen Mun district. He had no history of travel during the incubation period, but attended a family banquet on January 30 where the patient of Hong Kong's 47th case was also present.

The other two cases involve a 67-year-old woman and her 37-year-old son. They both had no history of travel during the incubation period, but had dinner with the patients of three previously confirmed cases at a restaurant on January 26.

At the CHP's daily press briefing on Thursday afternoon, Head of the CHP's Communicable Disease Branch Chuang Shuk-kwan reported the first additional case, saying that the CHP was tracing the patient's contacts, including those who had contact with him during work.

Hours later, the CHP reported the other two new cases in a press release, warning that some of the confirmed cases were locally infected and urging the public to maintain at all times strict personal and environmental hygiene to prevent the spread of the disease in the community.

Out of the 53 confirmed cases in Hong Kong, one patient has passed away, one has been cured and discharged from hospital, while 51 remain hospitalized, including four in critical condition and five in serious condition.

At the press briefing on Thursday, Chief Manager of Hong Kong's Hospital Authority Sara Ho said that for the patients in stable condition, the Hospital Authority and the CHP will make careful assessment and tests before arranging for their discharge.