He had tested negative for Covid-19, had been vaccinated with three doses, and had no chronic illness, sources said.

The news of his death came as health authorities confirmed 430 new Covid-19 cases on Wednesday, 83 more than the day before, and reported eight deaths related to the virus. Schools also reported seven pupils and a staff member tested positive.

The death of the elderly actor, separated from his family by Covid-19 restrictions, was the talk of the city, coming at a time when Hong Kong has started to ease its toughest social-distancing measures but still requires anyone flying in to undergo one week of hotel quarantine.

According to a government source, staff from the Department of Health were carrying out a regular check on guests at the Kowloon Hotel but there was no answer when they knocked on the door to Tsang’s room.

The insider said hotel employees were called to open the door and the actor was found lying unconscious on the floor beside the bed, shortly after midday. He was certified dead at the scene. Another source said an autopsy was likely to be carried out to determine the exact cause of death.

Asked whether the government had enough manpower and support for people undergoing quarantine at designated hotels, Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan of the Centre for Health Protection said: “We have staff who look after them and also for medical support, we have other medical personnel to look after them.”

Under government guidelines, travellers with special needs can obtain approval from the Department of Health if they require an accompanying caretaker during quarantine. The caretaker and the traveller must stay in the same hotel room and are not allowed to leave until the end of the isolation period.

On the slight rebound in cases, Chuang said authorities would continue to monitor the daily trend of infections.

“Even though the number is higher [compared to the day before], last week schools started to resume face-to-face classes, social-distancing measures were relaxed and some companies stopped work from home arrangements, so there are more people going out,” she said. “There is more human-to-human interaction, so a rebound is expected, but we need to look at whether the increase is large.”

The city’s tally of infections since the pandemic began stood at 1,203,068, with 9,282 related fatalities.

Separately, CUHK Medical Centre officially stopped the operation of its designated isolation ward, which provided 24 beds for Covid-19 patients, due to the easing of the fifth wave of infections. The ward treated 42 patients, who were mostly frail elderly suffering from chronic illnesses, since dedicating its resources to the pandemic fight on March 7.

Following the closure of the ward, staff will be redeployed back to the general wards to continue to provide services for the public.

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As news of Tsang’s death spread, fellow stars paid tribute to his professionalism and kindness.

Veteran actor Bowie Woo Fung, who knew Tsang since they were young men, told the media that he could not believe his “good brother” was gone.

“I can’t believe that he left so early,” he said. “We had been good friends since we were young. He was so good at acting. He could master any role.”

Tsang attended the Wah Yan College, Kowloon secondary school for boys in Yau Ma Tei and obtained a degree in architecture at the University of California, Berkeley. But the field bored him, he once said, and so he switched to acting in the early 1960s.

Tsang, who spoke fluent English, appeared in an astounding 220 films over the next 66 years, including Hollywood productions such as The Replacement Killers with fellow Hong Kong actor Chow Yun-fat in 1998 and Rush Hour 2 with kung fu star Jackie Chan and American comedian and actor Chris Tucker in 2001. He also played a supporting role in the James Bond movie Die Another Day in 2002.

Tsang won Best Supporting Actor at the 34th Hong Kong Film Awards in 2015 for his role in the crime thriller Overheard 3.

For many Hongkongers, Tsang was also known as the face of a local 1969 television commercial for Bigen hair dye.

Veteran actor Simon Yam Tat-wah, who performed alongside Tsang in numerous films, expressed deep sorrow over the star’s death and noted that he was a beloved figure in the industry who always had time to share his knowledge and experiences with others in the past.

Prolific film star Louis Koo Tin-lok said he was still trying to process the news of Tsang’s death and recalled him as an elder of the movie business who was able to perform in a variety of genres.

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Outpourings of grief flooded social media, with fans in mainland China posting messages calling Tsang “teacher”.

“Thank you, Teacher, for bringing so much good work over the years”, one online user wrote. Another said: “Teacher, have a good journey ahead”.

Tsang’s last post to his page on Douyin, the Chinese version of short video sharing app TikTok, was on April 18. In the video clip, he said he was travelling alone in Malaysia and Singapore before intending to return to the city.

“When I have time, I just act and do what I like,” he said. “I like new things, walking around and tasting good food.”

Tsang shared his views on dying in a media interview several years ago, in which he expressed a hope that his final days would not involve “much time in the hospital”.

“Death is a wrap up,” he said. “What I want most is to not have too many regrets before that comes, that would be good. And to have one more hope when I leave: to have already spent all my money.”