This undated photo shows the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center in Hong Kong. (LO PING FAI/XINHUA)
HONG KONG – Hong Kong reported nine new COVID-19 cases on Friday, all but one was locally transmitted, bringing the city’s overall tally to 11,727.
Among the eight imported cases, three were from the Philippines, three from India and one each from the Netherlands and Indonesia, Chuang Shuk-kwan, head of the Centre for Health Protection’s communicable disease branch, said at an afternoon briefing.
Three of the imported cases carried COVID-19 virus variants, bringing the number of such infections reported in Hong Kong to 238.
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The sole local case confirmed on Friday remained untraceable and involved a 23-year-old woman living at Block 10 of South Horizons in the Ap Lei Chau neighbor, according to Chuang. The woman, who developed a runny nose on Tuesday, worked at KC100, an office building in Kwai Chung district. She visited a Pacific Coffee shop at International Commerce Centre in West Kowloon, the shopping mall Festival Walk in Kowloon Tong, and some other restaurants across the city.
The city logged at least two untraceable preliminary cases, including one with the N501Y variant. If confirmed, the domestic helper would be the third locally infected patient to contract the mutant strain
The city logged at least two untraceable preliminary cases, including one with the N501Y variant, according to Chuang.
The variant carrier was a domestic helper who flew to the city from the Philippines on March 27 and returned to her employer’s home on Saturday after finishing mandatory quarantine at Ramada Hong Kong Harbour View in Sai Ying Pun.
If confirmed, the woman would be the third locally infected patient to contract the mutant strain. Chuang said the hotel room where the Filipino lived was next to the one where a family of there was confirmed infected, including two members with the same variant.
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The health authorities will investigate the possibility of transmission at the hotel and may ask the residents on the same floor to get tested or undergo quarantine again, according to Chuang.
The other patient who preliminarily tested was a driver for the Home Affairs Department. He lived at Hin Ming Court in Tseung Kwan O and went to a Physical Fitness center at Tseung Kwan O district within the same time period with a previously confirmed patient.
From Friday, Hong Kong residents aged 16 to 29 can start registering for vaccine shots
From Friday, Hong Kong residents aged 16 to 29 can start registering for vaccine shots. The Germany-made BioNTech vaccine will be available to anyone aged 16 and above. Parental consent is required for 16- and 17-year-olds, according to the government. The minimum age to receive the mainland-made Sinovac vaccine is 18.
The expansion means 6.5 million of the city’s population can sign up for either BioNTech or Sinovac jabs.
With an easing epidemic, some 52,000 students started Friday to sit the university entrance exam in Hong Kong, with special arrangements put in place to reduce the risk of COVID-19 infection, including temperature check and hand hygiene
As of Thursday, nearly 1.2 million doses of vaccines against the coronavirus had been administered in the city, with 407,400 people having been inoculated with the required two shots to develop full immunity.
In another development, a new batch of 580,000 shots of the BioNTech vaccine was shipped to Hong Kong from Germany on Friday afternoon. The government earlier said that BioNTech inoculations will last until September.
With an easing epidemic, some 52,000 students started Friday to sit the university entrance exam in Hong Kong, with special arrangements put in place to reduce the risk of COVID-19 infection, including temperature check and hand hygiene.
Exam participants also have to sit at least 1.5 meters apart and are required to wear a face mask.
This year's examination of the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education runs from Friday to May 20, during which every student will take exams of four core subjects and several elective subjects.
With inputs from Agencies