Two women sit on a bench overlooking the Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong on Sept 29, 2022. (ISAAC LAWRENCE / AFP)

HONG KONG – Hong Kong’s health authorities on Tuesday reported total 9,952 new COVID cases – 9,227 of which were locally acquired – as 26 more people succumbed to coronavirus infection.

The city logged 9,508 COVID-19 cases on Monday and 9,487 the day before.

With the latest 26 deaths, death toll from COVID-19 in the city rose to 10,629 during the current wave of infections, the Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health said in a statement

With the latest 26 deaths, death toll from COVID-19 in the city rose to 10,629 during the current wave of infections, the Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health said in a statement.

Of the 725 imported infections, 464 were detected at the Hong Kong International Airport, 199 during days 1 to 3 of their arrival, and the remaining 62 from days 4 to 7, it added.

As of Tuesday, the Public Health Laboratory Services Branch (PHLSB) had identified 225 cases of sub-lineage XBB, six of XBD, eight of BA.2.75.2, seven of BA.4.6, 13 of BF.7 and 36 of BQ.1.1 among imported cases in Hong Kong.

Concurrently, 113 cases of sub-lineage XBB, 18 of XBD, one of BA.2.75.2, four of BF.7 and 123 of BQ.1.1 were also detected among local infections.

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Among the specimens received by the PHLSB during Nov 27 to Dec 3 for verification testing of local cases, about 68.98 percent of them (seven-day moving average) were related to the BA.4 and BA.5 (including suspected cases) Omicron sub-variants. The percentage was some 70.16 on Monday.