9th December 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, 9th December, the CHP was investigating 13,277 additional locally acquired cases that tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus, comprising 2,986 cases that tested positive by nucleic acid tests (1,517 confirmed cases, 1,155 asymptomatic cases and 314 cases with pending status) and 10,291 cases that tested positive by rapid antigen tests (RATs) in the past 24 hours.
Separately, 647 additional imported cases were reported, including 543 cases that tested positive by nucleic acid tests (98 confirmed cases, 419 asymptomatic cases and 26 cases with pending status) and 104 cases that tested positive by RATs. Among the additional imported cases, 358 of them involved samples at the airport, 207 of them involved samples during Day 1 to Day 3, and the remaining 82 involved samples during Day 4 to Day 7.
Hong Kong has recorded a total of 1,079 682 and 1,138,032 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, December 9, the DH’s Public Health Laboratory Services Branch (PHLSB) had identified 226 cases of sub-lineage XBB, six of XBD, eight of BA.2.75.2, seven of BA.4.6, 13 of BF.7 and 38 of BQ.1.1 among imported cases in Hong Kong, while 120 cases of sub-lineage XBB, 18 of XBD, one of BA.2.75.2, five of BF.7 and 140 of BQ.1.1 have also been detected among local cases.
Among the specimens received by the DH’s PHLSB during 30th November to 6th December for verification testing of local cases, 0 per cent and about 64.24 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, 9th December, a total of 10,701 death cases that had tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus during the fifth wave (since 31st December, 2021) were recorded, with 10,603 and 94 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 10,914 death cases that tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus. 23 more patients passed away in public hospital today.