In this photo dated Jan 8, 2023, travelers heading to mainland wait to cross the border at the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Hong Kong Port in south China. The city recorded 2,335 new COVID cases and 22 related deaths on Jan 27, 2023. (PHOTO / XINHUA)
HONG KONG – Hong Kong saw a total of 2,335 new COVID-19 infections on Friday even as another 22 patients passed away, the health authorities reported.
Of the new cases, 2,290 were local infections and 45 were imported, according to a statement from the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health.
With Friday's deaths, 13,280 people with COVID-19 lost their lives in Hong Kong so far
Hong Kong’s daily COVID-19 cases have been hovering around the 2,000-mark over the past few days, with 2,401 cases logged on Thursday, 2,295 on Wednesday, 1,987 on Tuesday, and 2,271 on Monday, data show.
Fourteen cases, including 13 residents and one staff member, were reported from 11 residential care homes for the elderly and the disabled, according to the CHP.
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Five schools alerted the government to seven infections – three students and four employees.
As of Friday, the government had identified one case of the BF.7 variant and two cases of the XBB variant among locally contracted cases, the CHP said.
The center added that 36.98 percent of new specimens verified since Oct 10, 2022 had been linked to the BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron sub-variants.
In a separate statement, the Hospital Authority (HA) noted among the 2,233 COVID-19 patients in hospital, 165 were new patients, 1,013 required isolation, 334 needed oxygen therapy, and 45 were on ventilator support.
The HA also said 102 COVID-19 patients were in serious condition and 107 in critical condition, which included 25 receiving intensive care.
The overall occupancy of medical beds in acute hospitals was around 98 percent, the HA added.
With Friday's deaths, 13,280 people with COVID-19 lost their lives in Hong Kong so far.