The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) announced that as of 0.00am, December 3, the CHP was investigating three additional confirmed cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), taking the number of cases to 12 449 in Hong Kong so far (comprising 12 448 confirmed cases and one probable case).
The newly reported cases are imported cases which involved mutant strains. The patients comprise one male and two females, aged 23 to 51. Case 12452 arrived in Hong Kong from a Group B specified place (medium-risk) and tested positive during the "test-and-hold" arrangement upon arrival at the Temporary Specimen Collection Centre (TSCC) at Hong Kong International Airport. Case 12454 arrived in Hong Kong from a Group A specified place (high-risk) and tested positive during the "test-and-hold" arrangement upon arrival at the TSCC, and the CHP has announced the case's details last night (December 2) (www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202112/02/P2021120200578.htm). Case 12453 is a sea crew member who arrived in Hong Kong from Japan via the cargo vessel Glory Sky on December 1 and his specimen collected on the vessel tested positive. Preliminary epidemiological investigations revealed that the vessel entered Hong Kong for cargo operations with about 20 sea crew members on board. They had not gone ashore after arriving in Hong Kong and no local persons had boarded the vessel after it entered Hong Kong. The patient will be sent to hospital for isolation treatment while all of the remaining sea crew members of the cargo vessel have to undergo quarantine on board the vessel and conduct tests in accordance with the current arrangement during the quarantine period.
A total of 50 cases have been reported in the past 14 days (November 19 to December 2) and all of them are imported cases.
According to the testing and quarantine arrangements for local COVID-19 cases with mutant strains, the CHP reminded that persons who resided or worked within the same building as the residence of relevant cases will be subject to compulsory testing on specified dates in accordance with the announcement by the DH. They will also be required to undergo self-monitoring until the 21st day (see the details of the buildings and dates of testing at www.coronavirus.gov.hk/pdf/CTN_Specified_premises_and_Dates_of_Testing.pdf).
Specified persons in relation to the following specified premises are also reminded to undergo compulsory testing in accordance with the compulsory testing notice tomorrow (December 4):
- Block 4, New Jade Garden, 233 Chai Wan Road, Chai Wan
The CHP's epidemiological investigations and relevant contact tracing on the confirmed cases are ongoing. For case details and contact tracing information, please see the Annex or the "COVID-19 Thematic Website" (www.coronavirus.gov.hk).
​The spokesman for the CHP stressed, "The global situation of COVID-19 infection remains severe and there is a continuous increase in the number of cases involving mutant strains that carry higher transmissibility, and there are also reports of breakthrough infections in some vaccinated individuals. The CHP strongly urges members of the public to avoid all non-essential travel outside Hong Kong, in particular to specified places with high risk under the Prevention and Control of Disease (Regulation of Cross-boundary Conveyances and Travellers) Regulation (Cap. 599H)."
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