Hong Kong’s COVID-19 situation could be worsening again, with confirmed and preliminary confirmed cases jumping to double digits again on Thursday.

There were 12 confirmed cases on Thursday, of which four were local cases including two with unknown sources. One of the cases without a known source of transmission is a 75-year-old businesswoman who lives on Stubbs Road in Mid-Levels, with her office at the Lyndhurst Tower in Central. She first showed symptoms on Monday.

The woman went to the Starlight Dance Club in Wan Chai last Saturday between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m., which was the same location attended by five preliminarily confirmed cases, including two dance tutors. This meant that a suspected cluster could have formed at the club, according to Chuang Shuk-kwan, Head of the Communicable Disease Branch of the Centre for Health Protection.

The club occupies a space of around 4,000 square feet and provides one-to-one dance tutorial, Chuang said, and the CHP has asked for a list of attendees. Tickets are required to enter the venue, with a maximum capacity of two people per table. Food is not provided but guests are permitted to bring their own, with drinks supplied in the pantry.

Club tutors also taught at different locations including the Heavenly Dance Studio in Central, Chuang said. Students and tutors should contact the CHP as soon as possible for quarantine arrangements, she added.

Another local case without a known source is a 65-year-old retired woman living at Tower 2 of The Long Beach in Tai Kok Tsui. She started showing symptoms last Saturday and sought medical attention from a general practitioner on Monday. The woman then tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday. She had recently attended social gatherings including a meal with four friends, and another occasion with one friend. The Department of Health has made quarantine arrangements.

There were also two local cases linked to existing cases. One is a family member of a patient who was an imported case living at Tower 3 of The Visionary in Tung Chung. The other case is a family member of a taxi driver living at Yue Tin Court in Sha Tin, who has not shown any symptoms.

There were 20 preliminary positive COVID-19 cases announced on Thursday, most of which were local cases, said CHP controller Wong Ka-hing. If the cases were also with unknown sources, this meant there were multiple hidden chains of infection in the community,with the potential to spark a new wave of cases, Wong said. He urged the public to reduce unnecessary outings and use testing services provided by the government to help curb the pandemic.

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