Residents look at flowers at the Lunar New Year Fair in Victoria Park, Causeway Bay on Jan 16, 2023. (CALVIN NG / CHINA DAILY)
HONG KONG – Hong Kong reported 3,507 new COVID-19 cases and 29 deaths linked to the coronavirus on Saturday, health authorities said.
The Centre for Health Protection said in a statement that the new cases comprised 3,420 local infections and 87 imported cases. The city had 3,789 new infections on Friday and 4,015 the day before.
Twenty-one residential care homes for the elderly and persons with disabilities recorded 30 residents and two staff members getting infected
The 29 new reported deaths brought the city’s toll during the current fifth wave of infections to 12,868, the CHP added.
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Twenty-one residential care homes for the elderly and persons with disabilities recorded 30 residents and two staff members getting infected.
As of Saturday, the Public Health Laboratory Services Branch had detected 227 cases of sub-lineage XBB, 40 of BQ.1.1, 14 of BF.7, eight of BA.2.75.2, seven of BA.4.6, six of XBD, and one of XBB.1.5 among imported cases.
There were also 215 cases of BQ.1.1, 196 of XBB, 43 of BF.7, 18 of XBD, eight of XBB.1.5, and one of BA.2.75.2 found among local cases, the CHP said.
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The CHP added that 39.11 percent of new specimens verified by the PHLSB were linked to the BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron subvariants.