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

The Centre for Health Protection today said that it is investigating 19 additional COVID-19 cases, all of them are suspected to be carrying the Omicron variant.

Two of the patients dined in Moon Palace, Festival Walk in Kowloon Tong on the same day.

One of them is a 76-year-old man, the father of an aircrew member who is an earlier confirmed imported case. They had lunch with another woman in Moon Palace from around 1.30pm to 3pm on December 27.

The other patron is a 34-year-old male patient who had eaten at the same restaurant from around 2.30pm to 4pm with three family members.

The centre noted that the patients had sat at tables 10m apart from each other.

Centre for Health Protection Controller Dr Edwin Tsui told a press briefing this afternoon that according to the investigation so far this is a case of short-range airborne transmission.

“We consider that during the lunch period, there were about 200 patrons at that time (and) they are considered as close contacts of the infected cases.

“At present, we have already contacted about 80 patrons and have sent them to the quarantine facilities.

“We do appreciate the co-operation of all the patrons because this is around New Year’s time.”

The remaining 17 newly reported cases are imported. Three of the patients had stayed in Hong Kong during the incubation periods. The relevant venues have been included in a compulsory testing notice.

Separately, there are 16 preliminary positive COVID-19 cases, including a 30-year-old woman living at Block 2, Grandeur Terrace in Tin Shui Wai.

She works as a ground crew staff member at Hong Kong International Airport and receives outbound and transit passengers.

According to her job nature, she has to undergo regular viral testing and her result was negative in 10 tests conducted from November 24 to December 28.

She developed a cough on December 28 and her specimen collected on December 30 preliminarily tested positive with the N501Y and T478K mutant strains.

The centre believes that she likely acquired the infection at work.

As the patient may be carrying the Omicron variant, the Government made a restriction-testing declaration at Block 2, Grandeur Terrace from 7pm requesting people who live or work at the building to undergo compulsory testing.

People in the building are required to undergo testing before 1am tomorrow. The Government aims to finish the exercise at about 7am tomorrow.

According to the latest arrangement, people residing in the same building as the preliminary case carrying Omicron are required to undergo compulsory testing on the second, third, fourth, seventh, 12th and 19th day counting from the subsequent day when the relevant confirmed case last stayed in that building.

In view of four preliminary positive or confirmed imported cases involving patients who had stayed in Hong Kong during the incubation period and one preliminary positive import-related case, 21 specified premises visited by the patients are included in the latest compulsory testing notice.

Regarding four previous imported cases involving patients who had stayed in Hong Kong during the incubation period and two preliminary positive import-related cases, people who had been at 56 specified premises during the specified period have to undergo additional testing.

A mobile specimen collection station will be set up at the open area outside Wing Chak House, Chak On Estate in Shek Kip Mei to provide free testing services.

Meanwhile, the whole genome sequencing analysis of six previous cases conducted by the Department of Health’s Public Health Laboratory Services Branch confirmed that they carry the Omicron variant. There are so far 87 Omicron cases in Hong Kong.

Furthermore, as Cathay Pacific flight CX873 arriving from San Francisco and Philippine Airlines flight PR300 from Manila on December 30 had passengers on board who tested positive for COVID-19 upon arrival, the Department of Health has invoked a law to prohibit the landing of these airlines’ passenger flights from the relevant original ports in Hong Kong from today to January 13.

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