Among the 16 patients were 11 men and five women, aged between 29 to 72 years. There were also ten preliminary positive cases today, with three of them having unknown sources of infection.

Chuang Shuk-kwan, head of the Centre for Health Protection's Communicable Disease Branch, said of the local cases today, two of them were linked to previous local infections and the other 10 with untraceable sources.

The four imported cases were two returnees from Pakistan and the other two from the Philippines and Austria.

Chuang said the two cases linked to previous local infections today are from the Kwai Chung Fire Station cluster, showing signs of an outbreak. Authorities have since included the fire station in the compulsory testing notice requiring all personnel within the station to undergo Covid testing.

The 10 patients with untraceable infections live in Ming Yan Lau of Jat Ming Chuen in Shatin, Block 1 of Sceneway Garden in Lam Tin, Fuk Wa Mansion in Sham Shui Po, Golden Crown Court in Jordan, Tower 2 of Stars By The Harbour in Kowloon City, Hong Shing Building in Yuen Long, On Lee Building in Wong Tai Sin, Sau Tai House in Tuen Mun, Highview Terrace in Jordan and Tsim Sha Tsui Mansion.

Among the 10 patients were a construction worker and a chef at a siu mei restaurant, 50 and 20 of their close contacts were put under quarantine respectively.

Chuang also added that the three preliminary positive case with unknown source of infection include a housewife who lives in 88 Square in Tai Po and a staff who works at Royal Legend in Tin Hau.

The remaining case is a care worker who works at Yuen Yuen Nursing Home cum Day Care Centre for the Elderly in Kwun Tong. The care worker has symptom onset on February 12 and last worked on February 15. Over 50 residents and 30 staff members have to be put under quarantine.