- Kennedy and West Island Schools, part of the English Schools Foundation, as well as Kellett School and French International School have closed their campuses due to confirmed positive cases of Covid-19
- Several cases in the flareup are linked to a trainer at Ursus gym in Sai Ying Pun
ESF's West Island School was one of several today to announce a temporary closure as a precautionary measure. Photo: SCMP/Edmond SoUPDATE: ESF's West Island School in Pok Fu Lam, Carmel School in Shau Kei Wan, as well as four schools in Tin Shui Wai are suspending face-to-face lessons temporarily after fears of exposure to the virus. The first two are in relation to the Ursus gym cluster, while the New Territories school closures come fter all staff members and students were ordered to undergo mandatory testing following a positive test for the coronavirus among in sewage samples.
Just weeks after the Hong Kong government allowed in-person teaching to resume for the first time since late November, three schools have closed their campuses due to positive cases of Covid-19,
The news come shortly after the English Schools Foundation (ESF) announced it would try resuming in-person lessons for all students within the coming weeks.
Should Hong Kong’s public gathering bans be lifted?
Kennedy School, part of the ESF group, said in an email to parents on Thursday that it would close its campus because of a positive case linked to a new coronavirus outbreak that has spread to fitness centres and schools. Kellet School and the French International School (FIS) made the same announcement.
The new flareup is linked to a trainer from Ursus Fitness, a gym in Sai Ying Pun. The gym said five of its staff tested positive for Covid-19, as well as a client.
The difficulties Hong Kong’s low income students face during coronavirus
While Kennedy School said its positive case was connected to the outbreak at Ursus, Kellet School and FIS did not specify a link.
Hundreds of close contacts have been sent to mandatory quarantine in government facilities, including gym members, students and school teachers.
Positive cases have also appeared in the banking community. A BNP Paribas SA spokeswoman said one of the bank’s Hong Kong employees tested positive for Covid-19 and that staffers who sat near the person will work from home for 14 days.
A Facebook fan page for Dr Chuang Shuk Kwan, head of the Communicable Disease Branch at Hong Kong’s Department of Health, has a list of locations where alleged new cases have been been reported.