In this March 19, 2022 photo, a man receives a dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 coronavirus vaccine at a community vaccination center at the Kowloon Mosque And Islamic Centre in Hong Kong. (KIN CHEUNG / AP)

HONG KONG – Hong Kong health authorities reported a total of 15,383 new COVID-19 cases on Monday as another 39 infected people passed away in the city.

The new cases comprised 14,520 local infections and 863 imported cases, according to the Department of Health’s (DH) Centre for Health Protection (CHP). The city logged 16,023 coronavirus infections on Sunday and 15,774 infections the day before.

The latest COVID-related fatalities pushed the city’s death toll to 10,997 during the current wave of infections, or 11,210 since the pandemic started locally, said the CHP

The latest COVID-related fatalities pushed the city’s death toll to 10,997 during the current wave of infections, or 11,210 since the pandemic started locally, said the CHP.

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Among Monday’s 863 imported infections, 544 were detected at the Hong Kong International Airport, 217 during the first and third days of the arrivals’ landing in Hong Kong, and the remaining 102 between days 4 and 7.

Additionally, as of Monday, the DH’s Public Health Laboratory Services Branch (PHLSB) had identified 226 cases of sub-lineage XBB, six of XBD, eight of BA.2.75.2, seven of BA.4.6, 13 of BF.7 and 38 of BQ.1.1 among imported cases in Hong Kong. 

Also, 142 cases of sub-lineage XBB, 18 of XBD, one of BA.2.75.2, nine of BF.7 and 166 of BQ.1.1 were identified among local cases.

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During Dec 10 to 16, some 54.6 percent of cases verified by the PHLSB were linked to the BA.4 or BA.5 Omicron sub-variant.