Four more from Tsing Yi apartments isolated

The Chief Executive and other officials brief the media about the situation at a Tsing Yi apartment block where emergency evacuations were made overnight. Photo: RTHK

Four people in a Tsing Yi apartment block, where a partial emergency evacuation was carried out on Monday night, are showing signs of illness as officials suggested a modification done in one flat may hold the clue to the city's latest coronavirus cases.



Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Health Secretary Sophia Chan said four people from Hong Mei House in the Cheung Hong Estate who had symptoms are now in isolation in different hospitals.



Authorities evacuated most of the households living in flats of the same number, number seven, to quarantine centres overnight, over fears of a wider outbreak. Chan said officers were unable to contact nine households.



Housing Secretary Frank Chan said initial investigations suggest a toilet pipe in the flat of a confirmed coronavirus patient may have been "modified".



The 62-year-old woman from that flat lives 10 storeys directly below the person who accounted for the 12th case of the deadly disease recorded in Hong Kong.



Lam said experts and engineers will carry out investigations at the block of flats and provide her with a report that would be made public as soon as possible.