People walk past cordoned-off exercise equipment at a park amid the COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong on March 4, 2022. (DALE DE LA REY / AFP)

HONG KONG – Hong Kong reported 489 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday as an outbreak was detected at a third bar in Central.

Chuang Shuk-kwan, head of the communicable disease branch of the Centre for Health Protection, said in a news briefing that 65 of the new cases were imported, including 37 that were detected at the airport.

Chuang Shuk-kwan, head of the communicable disease branch of the Centre for Health Protection, said in a news briefing that 65 of the new cases were imported, including 37 that were detected at the airport

She said that 170 were confirmed through nucleic acid tests while 319 were detected by rapid antigen testing. One COVID-19 patient also passed away on Wednesday, bringing the toll to 9,167.

Chuang said 18 cases were found at the LINQ bar in Central, involving 11 males and seven females who went to the club on May 28 and May 29.    

“We are still interviewing the customers. They mainly drink alcohol there. There’s no dance facility at this bar,” Chuang said.

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She said one of the customers also went to the Iron Fairies bar in Central, which had two new cases, bringing this cluster’s total to 51.

The tally at the third cluster in Central, involving Zentral Club, inched up to 33 after two new cases were detected, Chuang added.

She reminded members of the public not to supply misleading information on the government’s online reporting platform for RAT test results.

Chuang said the CHP reviewed 150 positive RAT test results reported on May 31 and 31 cases or 21 percent turned out to be negative.

Gladys Kwan, chief manager (Clinical Effectiveness and Technology Management) of the Hospital Authority, said at same briefing that a 64-year-old COVID-19 patient from a residential care home passed away on Wednesday.

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The woman, who had two vaccine jabs, was suffering from lupus and heart disease and died on Wednesday evening, she said.

Meanwhile, the government said that 20 COVID-19 cases were found during an overnight testing operation in Aberdeen.

The government set up a “restricted area” in Hung Lai House of Hung Fuk Court in Aberdeen on Wednesday night after conducting a risk assessment. It said 860 residents underwent testing and 20 tested positive.

It added that a “restricted area” was also set up at Shun Hei House of Siu Hei Court in Tuen Mun but no infections were found.