September 13, 2022
HONG KONG – Hong Kong’s COVID-19 infections fell to a two-week low on Monday as health authorities cautioned that there might be a rebound after the Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations.
Chuang Shuk-kwan, head of the communicable disease branch of the Centre for Health Protection, said in a news briefing that there were 7,938 new cases, including 166 imported infections. Eleven new reported deaths brought the city’s toll to 9,597.
From a high of 11,091 cases on Thursday, Hong Kong reported 10,076 infections on Friday, 9,787 cases on Saturday, and 9,033 yesterday. The last time the number of new cases dropped below 8,000 was on Aug 26, when 7,835 infections were reported.
“We have to monitor the situation further to see whether it is really stabilizing or if there will be a surge,” Chuang said.
Chuang Shuk-kwan, head of the communicable disease branch of the Centre for Health Protection, said in a news briefing that there were 7,938 new cases, including 166 imported infections. Eleven new deaths brought the city’s toll to 9,597
She said the CHP was monitoring the number of infections linked to the Omicorn subvariant BA.5, which now account for 68 percent of new infections, and a possible rebound in cases after the holiday.
Of the 166 imported cases, 72 were detected at the airport and 50 found in quarantine hotels and centers. Twenty-seven came from the United Kingdom, 23 from the United States, 19 from the Philippines, and 11 from Thailand. The rest were from 36 other countries.
Chuang said three elderly care homes for the elderly and seven for persons with disabilities reported 11 new cases.
The CHP also recommended that two primary schools, two secondary schools, and a kindergarten suspend some in-person classes for a week due to infections.
Sara Ho, Chief Manager (Patient Safety and Risk Management) of the Hospital Authority, said in the same briefing that the 11 new deaths involved 10 men and a woman aged 61 to 93 years old. Ten of then were not fully vaccinated and all had underlying chronic diseases.
Ho said 2,753 COVID patients were being treated in public hospitals as of Monday, including 291 new patients. Fifty-six were in in critical condition, including 14 receiving intensive care, while 64 were in serious condition.
She added that a 10-year-old boy was also in critical condition at the pediatric intensive care unit of Princess Margaret Hospital in Kwai Chung after he was infected and showed signs of croup.