A passenger walks along a bridge at the Hong Kong International Airport in Hong Kong, Sep 23, 2022. (LAM YIK / AP)
HONG KONG – The health authorities of Hong Kong on Friday reported logging 8,008 new cases of coronavirus infection, including 507 imported cases, while eight more people diagnosed with COVID-19 died.
The new caseload stayed above the 8,000 mark for the second consecutive day on Friday, with the number reaching a two-month high the previous day when 8,052 infections were identified.
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Of Friday’s new cases, 7,501 were locally acquired – including 1,632 testing positive by nucleic acid tests and the rest found by rapid antigen tests (RATs), according to the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health.
Among the imported cases, 244 were found positive for the virus at the Hong Kong International Airport, 179 involved samples taken during day 1 to day 3, while the remaining 84 involved samples during day 4 to day 7.
As of Nov 17, the Public Health Laboratory Services Branch has identified 222 cases of sub-lineage XBB, six of XBD, eight of BA.2.75.2, seven of BA.4.6, 12 of BF.7 and 34 of BQ.1.1 among imported cases in Hong Kong, said the CHP.
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Among the locally transmitted cases, 47 infections involving sub-lineage XBB, 16 of XBD, one of BA.2.75.2, one of BF.7 and 61 of BQ.1.1 have been detected.
Meanwhile, the new deaths took the tally of COVID casualties in the city to 10,577 since the beginning of the pandemic.