27th January 2023 – (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 2,290 additional locally acquired cases that tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus, comprising 455 cases that tested positive by nucleic acid tests (183 confirmed cases, 91 asymptomatic cases and 181 cases with pending status) and 1,835 cases that tested positive by rapid antigen tests (RATs) in the past 24 hours.
Separately, 45 additional imported cases were reported and all of them tested positive by RATs.
Hong Kong has recorded a total of 1,214,697 and 1,654,646 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. Please refer to the Annex and the “COVID-19 Thematic Website” (www.coronavirus.gov.hk) for more information.
The CHP has been closely monitoring the situation of positive cases involving mutant strains by genetic analysis.
In addition, as of 0.00am today, a total of 13,067 death cases that had tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus during the fifth wave (since 31st December, 2021) were recorded, with 12,933 and 127 deaths reported from the Hospital Authority and public mortuaries respectively as well as seven deaths reported from private hospitals. Hong Kong has so far recorded a total of 13,280 death cases that tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus. 22 more patients passed away in public hospitals today.
Furthermore, among the earlier cases by nucleic acid tests reported, there were cases (including pending cases) changed to confirmed, asymptomatic or re-positive cases. As at yesterday, the total number of confirmed cases was 531,703 , while the figures for asymptomatic cases, re-positive cases and pending/unknown cases recorded since 1st January, 2022, were 418,648, 31 and 263,860 respectively.