The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) announced that as of 0.00am, December 12, the CHP was investigating five additional confirmed cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), taking the number of cases to 12 489 in Hong Kong so far (comprising 12 488 confirmed cases and one probable case).
The newly reported cases are imported cases. Four of the cases involved mutant strains while the viral load of one case is insufficient for mutation tests. The patients comprise two males and three females, aged 14 to 62. All of them arrived in Hong Kong from Group A specified places (high-risk). Two patients tested positive during the "test-and-hold" arrangement upon arrival at the Temporary Specimen Collection Centre at Hong Kong International Airport and two tested positive during quarantine. Case 12494 was tested indeterminate during quarantine and she tested positive after admission to hospital.
A total of 59 cases have been reported in the past 14 days (November 28 to December 11) and all of them are imported cases.
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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