Coronavirus | HK reports 16 new virus cases, 1 local

Hong Kong reported 16 new COVID-19 cases on Monday (April 5), all but one imported, pushing the city's overall infection tally to 11,524.

The source of origin of Monday's sole local infection remained unknown, Chuang Shuk-kwan, head of Hong Kong's Centre for Health Protection's communicable disease branch, said at a briefing.

It involved a 32-year-old man who lived in Yau Tong Estate, Yau Tong worked as a salesman at a branch of home appliances chain store Fortress at HSBC Centre Tai Kok Tsui. He started showing symptoms on March 30 and last went to work on March 23.

Among the new imported cases, six were from the Philippines, five from India and four from Pakistan, said Chuang.

There were also three preliminary imported cases, Chuang said.

As of Monday morning, a total of 128 patients were being treated in 21 public hospitals and the North Lantau Hospital Hong Kong Infection Control Centre, including six patients in critical condition, according to the Hospital Authority.

About 556,100 doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been given to Hong Kong residents since the city's vaccination program began on Feb 26.

About 77,200 people have received full vaccination against COVID-19, with around 76,600 of them receiving the Sinovac vaccine and the remaining 600 people the BioNTech shot.

(Source: China Daily)