The Centre for Health Protection is following up on the epidemiological investigation of case number 12754 involving COVID-19 and is investigating two related cases which tested preliminarily positive.

Case number 12754 is epidemiologically linked with previous imported cases and is a family member of imported case number 12676 living together.

The first case under investigation involves a 48-year-old woman living at Causeway Tower in Causeway Bay, who is a close contact of case number 12754.

The patient had no travel history during the incubation period. She developed a headache, cough and sore throat on January 2 and was sent to hospital on January 4. Her test conducted on the same day tested preliminarily positive with a cycle threshold (Ct) value of about 20.

The patient danced with case number 12754 together with some 20 friends on December 31 at Victoria Park and Causeway Bay Community Centre. She is a housewife and received two doses of the Sinopharm vaccine on August 20 and September 10 in the Mainland.

The second case involves a 43-year-old woman living at Chesterfield Mansion in Causeway Bay, who is a foreign domestic helper. Her employer is another close contact of case number 12754.

The patient has no recent travel history. She developed symptoms including fever, cough, runny nose and sore throat on January 2 and was arranged by her employer to a boarding house for helpers at Rialto Mansion in North Point on January 4.

The patient was sent to hospital on January 4 and tested preliminarily positive, with a cycle threshold (Ct) value of less than 20. She received two doses of the Comirnaty vaccine.

Case number 12754 visited the residence of the patient and her employer at Chesterfield Mansion on December 30. The employer also danced with case number 12754 and some 20 people on December 31 at Victoria Park and Causeway Bay Community Centre.

As the patients may carry the Omicron mutant strain with higher transmissibility and risk of infection, the Government made restriction-testing declarations last night for Causeway Tower and Chesterfield Mansion. The places where they visited during the incubation periods will also be included in a compulsory testing notice.

Further investigations by the centre revealed that employer of the 43-year-old patient and another eight close contacts of case number 12754 boarded the cruise ship Spectrum of the Seas on January 2, which embarked on a cruise-to-nowhere on January 2 and was scheduled to return on January 6.

According to information provided by the cruise company, there are about 2,500 passengers and some 1,200 staff members. The centre requested the cruise company to isolate the nine close contacts on the cruise ship first and arrange testing for them onboard. The nine people tested preliminarily negative.

The centre also requested the cruise ship to return in the morning on January 5. The cruise ship will be included in a compulsory testing notice.

The Government arranged testing for all passengers and staff members when the cruise ship arrived Kai Tak Cruise Terminal. The nine close contacts will be sent to Penny's Bay Quarantine Centre for quarantine. The centre's officers will board the cruise ship to inspect the sanitary condition.