HONG KONG – Hong Kong reported one new imported COVID-19 case from the Netherlands on Friday, bringing the city’s tally to 11,949.
The case involved an 18-year-old man who remained asymptomatic, according to a statement issued by the Centre for Health Protection of Hong Kong’s Department of Health.
In another development, the Hong Kong government said it will ban passenger flights from Seoul operated by Asiana Airlines from Saturday to July 23
The man was quarantined at Ramada Hong Kong Harbour View in Sai Ying Pun after flying in to Hong Kong.
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The CHP said it is also investigating a suspected case involving a recovered COVID-19 patient who tested positive again in Hong Kong.
The man, 39, works at the Consulate General of Kazakhstan in Central district. He flew in from the central Asian country via Bangkok on Monday.
He has stayed at Manhattan Heights in Kennedy Town after arriving in Hong Kong. He was confirmed infected last month in Kazakhstan.
Responding to queries at the Legislative Council on Friday, Secretary for Food and Health Sophia Chan Siu-chee said she expects the city’s vaccine take-up rate to reach 50 percent between August and September, moving closer to the 70-percent benchmark.
Chan added that the Germany-made BioNTech jabs will still be available at clinics after government-run community vaccination centers gradually close in September.
As of Thursday, almost 1.7 million Hong Kong residents have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, accounting for 25 percent of the city’s population aged 12 or above. Around 2.5 million people have received at least one shot.
Over the past week, a daily average of 61,441 people had got their jabs.
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In a separate statement, the Hong Kong government said it will ban passenger flights from Seoul operated by Asiana Airlines from Saturday to July 23. The move came after a passenger on a July 6 flight was confirmed infected upon arrival while another passenger on the same flight failed to comply with the city’s COVID-19 prevention regulation.