An elderly woman who was found dead at her Tai Wai home last Saturday while waiting for quarantine arrangements tested positive for COVID-19 post mortem.
Chuang Shuk-kwan, Head of the Center for Health Protection's Communicable Disease Branch, said in a press conference Thursday that a quarantine order was issued to the 62-year-old on Dec. 9, the day her daughter was confirmed with the virus and hospitalized.
On Dec. 10, the woman told relatives that she was experiencing a blocked nose, but that she was feeling fine otherwise. She could not be reached the next day.
Her relatives contacted the police for help on Dec. 12, when she was found dead at her Mei Lam Estate apartment.
Her post-mortem COVID-19 test came back positive, Chuang said. It is not known if her coronavirus infection is linked to her death.
Ho Pak-leung, a microbiologist at the University of Hong Kong, criticized the government's slow response on a Commercial Radio program Friday and called for the tragedy to be publicly addressed.
In an earlier email reply to Coconuts, the Department of Health said that arrangements of transfer to quarantine centers for close contacts of patients "would be made as soon as practicable."
The department did not answer Coconuts‘ questions specific to the case.
At least three COVID-19 infections have been confirmed in Mei Tao House, including the woman and her daughter. Cleaners in protective gear disinfected the estate on Friday morning, according to Tai Wai district councilor Ng Ting-lam.

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