The principal of a school in Diamond Hill said a staff member who caught chikungunya fever is recovering, and no students have been infected so far.

Health officials are trying to find out if the 55-year-old woman – a janitor at Rhenish Church Grace School at Fung Tak Estate – caught the virus locally, after an 82-year-old resident of the public housing estate was identified as the city's first local case.

School principal Tse Hing-sang told an RTHK programme that the staff member had shown symptoms of fever and bone pain and had swollen legs last week.

"Since we found out that a colleague was unwell on Saturday, we called and asked students if they felt unwell on Sunday. No one reported ill," he said.

"As of Tuesday, our attendance rate was very high – it stood at 92 percent, meaning that a few students were absent due to other illnesses or personal leave."

While the school has suspended physical education lessons at the outdoor playground, Tse said outdoor activities will continue for the rest of the current school term.

The principal called on parents to pay attention to their children's appetite and emotions, in addition to taking their body temperature each day to check for symptoms.

As for whether classes have to be suspended, Tse said the school will follow the Education Bureau's instructions.

On top of the two infections, the city has recorded 48 imported cases of the mosquito-borne disease so far this year.