The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) on Thursday reported 253 new local coronavirus cases as well as a fresh cluster involving five people.

Health officials said the three men and two women, aged between 26 and 57, all visited the Sheung Wan branch of the TamJai SamGor Mixian chain on the afternoon of May 13.

However, four of the diners also attended the same training school in the area, Benchmark, whereby another student in the class – who didn’t visit the restaurant – had also come down with the virus.

Albert Au from the CHP said a total of 40 people were in the class and some students had reportedly taken off their face masks during the sessions.

He said officials are still trying to work out how the cases are linked, adding that it is too early to say where they contracted the virus.

"Our initial understanding is that the five diners sat at five different tables. They told us they either ate on their own or ate with someone else," he said.

"We are worried there's an outbreak at the restaurant since they all didn't know one another."

Compulsory testing notices will be issued to diners who visited the restaurant on May 13 between 4:30pm and 6pm, as well as people who stayed at Benchmark for more than two hours between May 11 and 15.

There were also 38 imported cases for the day.

The Hospital Authority, meanwhile, said a 91-year-old patient died in the past day. She was not vaccinated.
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