(To watch the full press briefing with sign language interpretation, click here.)

The Centre for Health Protection today said it has identified a small cluster of COVID-19 cases linked to a karaoke bar.

Announcing the latest number of cases at a press briefing, the centre’s Communicable Disease Branch Head Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan said that a group of seven friends had gone to the karaoke bar on March 24 and five of them tested positive for COVID-19.

“One of them had the onset of symptoms on March 24, which is the day they had the karaoke event. The other four cases had the onset of symptoms on March 27 to 28, so it is possible that they had some type of transmission during the event. The other two friends will be put under quarantine.”

Dr Chuang noted that further investigations were needed to understand whether this group had any contact with staff at the karaoke bar.

“Because usually in a karaoke setting they would be given a room and the staff usually do not have very close contact with them. But we have to check with the management to understand.

“If it is just an isolated room without contact with other staff or other clients, I think the possibility of other cases is not very high.”

She added that the centre still had to closely monitor the situation and find out more about the exact setting of the karaoke bar.

The centre also announced it is investigating 32 additional confirmed COVID-19 cases, involving 19 males and 13 females aged 11 to 86.

Among them, 24 had a travel history during the incubation period and 13 are overseas students.

For information and health advice on COVID-19, visit the Government's dedicated webpage.