Singer Zaina Sze found to have Covid-19, TVB closes headquarters for 2 days

A 24-year-old TVB artist has become the first Hong Kong entertainer confirmed to be diagnosed with Covid-19, prompting fears of more infections even as the broadcaster closed its headquarters TVB City for two days.

Singer Zaina Sze tested positive for the coronavirus on Saturday (July 18). Her manager Apple Lau, 57, and Lau's boyfriend, 62-year-old actor, Robert Mak, as well her promoter, Ah Jia, have also been diagnosed with Covid-19.

All four are currently seeking treatment in Kowloon's Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

While neither Sze nor her manager Lau has displayed any symptoms, Mak has experienced breathing difficulties, according to Hong Kong's Oriental Daily News.

With TVB City closed, activities for programmes have also been halted, including the cancellation of a live programme.

TVB has informed those who came into contact with the infected individuals in a list released last Saturday. More than a hundred people had come into contact with Sze and Ah Jia, mostly crew members but also including 20 entertainers.

Actress Irene Wan, 53, was among those feared to have been exposed to the coronavirus. But she assured fans that she was fine in a Weibo post over the weekend.

Actress Kayan Yau, 20, who had attended a drama class with Sze last Wednesday, also assured fans that she had not been infected.

"After I got to know the news, I immediately went to do a test. I've just received a call from the hospital and the result is negative," she wrote in an online post on Sunday.

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There are concerns that other artists, including leading actor Ron Ng, 40, might have been exposed to the coronavirus after they attended a dinner with Mak recently. Hong Kong media reported.

The closure of TVB City comes amid a surge of Covid-19 cases in Hong Kong, with more than 500 infections confirmed in the past two weeks.

The city has rolled out stricter social distancing measures, including getting civil servants to work from home for a week and making it compulsory to wear a mask in indoor venues.

Aside from TVB City, Sze also appeared in an interview at Metro Broadcast Corporation.

While it has not closed its headquarters, the company has told non-duty and logistics staff to work from home, and ramped up disinfection.

For the latest updates on the coronavirus, visit here.

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.