Hong Kong reports 7 new COVID-19 cases, 5,182 in total

HONG KONG - Hong Kong’s Center for Health Protection (CHP) reported seven additional confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Sunday, bringing the total number of cases to 5,182 in Hong Kong.

The newly-reported cases included three imported ones and the remaining four were epidemiologically linked with local cases. Matthew Cheung, Chief Secretary for Administration

of China’s Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government, said in his blog on Sunday that recently there has been a rising trend for both the number of new and untraceable local cases of COVID-19 in Hong Kong, which is a warning of a rebound.

A total of 64 cases were reported between Oct. 2 and Oct. 8, among which 55 percent were local ones, a notable rise from 20 percent in the previous week, according to local health authorities on Friday. Cheung urged the public to maintain social distancing and personal hygiene especially when cluster infections involved a wide scope, including bars, hotels, restaurants, care homes and schools. To contain the outbreak, the HKSAR government has strengthened COVID-19 testing at community level, such as setting up four temporary testing centers to offer people free testing and extending the distribution hours for specimen collection packs at 46 general outpatient clinics. According to Hong Kong’s Hospital Authority, 124 patients are still being treated in hospitals, including eight in critical condition. (Xinhua)