24th November 2022 – (Hong Kong) The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) today announced the latest epidemic situation of COVID-19. As of 0.00am today, the CHP was investigating 8 500 additional locally acquired cases that tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus, comprising 1,775 cases that tested positive by nucleic acid tests (934 confirmed cases, 694 asymptomatic cases and 147 cases with pending status) and 6,725 cases that tested positive by rapid antigen tests (RATs) in the past 24 hours.
Separately, 719 additional imported cases were reported, comprising 604 cases that tested positive by nucleic acid tests (138 confirmed cases, 429 asymptomatic cases and 37 cases with pending status) and 115 cases that tested positive by RATs. Among the additional imported cases, 381 of them involved samples at the airport, 262 involved samples during Day 1 to Day 3, and the remaining 76 involved samples during Day 4 to Day 7.
Hong Kong has recorded a total of 1,040,388 and 1,027,922 cases that have tested positive by nucleic acid tests and RATs respectively for the SARS-CoV-2 virus so far.
The CHP is continuing with epidemiological investigations of the cases.
The CHP has been closely monitoring the situation of positive cases involving mutant strains by genetic analysis. As of 0.00am today, the DH’s Public Health Laboratory Services Branch (PHLSB) had identified 224 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, while 72 cases of sub-lineage XBB, 16 of XBD, one of BA.2.75.2, two of BF.7 and 78 of BQ.1.1 have also been detected among local cases.
Among the specimens received by the DH’s PHLSB during 15th to 21st November for verification testing of local cases, 0 per cent and about 77.1 per cent of them (seven-day moving average) are related to the sub-lineages BA.2.12.1 and BA.4/BA.5 (including suspected cases) of the Omicron mutant strain respectively.
In addition, as of 0.00am today, a total of 10,434 death cases that had tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus during the fifth wave (since 31st December, 2021) were recorded, with 10,344 and 86 deaths reported from the Hospital Authority and public mortuaries respectively as well as four deaths reported from private hospitals. Hong Kong has so far recorded a total of 10,647 death cases that tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus. 13 more patients passed away in last 24 hours.
Furthermore, among the earlier cases by nucleic acid tests reported, there were cases (including pending cases) that were changed to confirmed, asymptomatic or re-positive cases. As of yesterday, the total number of confirmed cases was 452,505, while the figures for asymptomatic cases, re-positive cases and pending/unknown cases recorded since 1st January were 339,448, 31 and 246,025 respectively.