A Hong Kong performing arts institution and multiple schools have been closed after students were confirmed to be infected with Covid-19.
On Tuesday, the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts announced the closure of its campuses and requested that all students and staff members leave after a student – who last visited the school on June 17 – was confirmed to have the coronavirus.
“The Academy has also been in contact with the Center for Health Protection for necessary follow up actions,” a statement released by the Wanchai-based institution read. “The academy is carefully monitoring the situation and will take all necessary actions to ensure the ongoing safety of its staff, students and the broader community.”
Several schools also announced class suspensions after students, or their parents, tested positive for the SARS-like virus. It has killed more than 538,000 and infected over 11.6 million people globally, according to researchers at Johns Hopkins University.
G.T. (Ellen Yeung) College (Junior Primary Section) in Mong Kok, CCC Rotary Secondary School in Wong Tai Sin and Fung Kai Innovative School in Sheung Shui – at which a teaching staffer met a Covid-19 patient – announced a day of class suspensions, HK01 reported.
Local surge
Hong Kong saw a surge of 17 newly confirmed cases on Monday with at least one locally transmitted case – a man who worked at a restaurant in Ping Shek Estate in Choi Hung. His colleague was also confirmed to have Covid-19 on Sunday.
According to an RTHK source, a woman in her 80s who lives at an elderly home in Tsz Wan Shan was also confirmed with the infection on Tuesday. She had no travel history.
Ahead of her weekly Executive Council meeting on Tuesday, Chief Executive Carrie Lam told the press that she would chair a supervising committee on the virus response to review social-distancing measures.
“It is worrying as we see the re-emergence of locally confirmed cases with no travel history. It reflects that the risk of transmission still exists in Hong Kong,” Lam said.
