CHP investigates three additional confirmed cases of COVID-19 and provides update on latest investigations on imported case 12432
The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) announced that as of 0.00am, November 29, the CHP was investigating three additional confirmed cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), taking the number of cases to 12 431 in Hong Kong so far (comprising 12 430 confirmed cases and one probable case).
The newly reported cases are imported cases which involved mutant strains. The patients comprise two males and one female, aged 42 to 73. One of them arrived in Hong Kong from a Group A specified place (high-risk) and two from Group B specified places (medium-risk). Case 12434 is a close contact of an imported case confirmed previously (case 12429) and tested positive at the Penny's Bay Quarantine Centre (PBQC). Case 12435, being the close contact of an imported case confirmed previously (case 12431), felt unwell at the PBQC and her specimen collected at the hospital tested positive. Case 12436 tested positive during the "test-and-hold" arrangement upon arrival at the Temporary Specimen Collection Centre at Hong Kong International Airport.
A total of 46 cases have been reported in the past 14 days (November 15 to 28) and all of them are imported cases.
Also, the CHP provided an update on the latest investigations on imported case 12432 involving a 37-year-old male patient who arrived in Hong Kong from Nigeria by flight ET608 via Ethiopia on November 24 and tested negative upon arrival at the Temporary Specimen Collection Centre at Hong Kong International Airport. He tested positive on November 26 (Day 3) during compulsory quarantine at a designated quarantine hotel with a Ct value of 27 to 29. Another specimen collected on November 27 after admission to hospital had a Ct value of about 20, indicating a recent infection outside Hong Kong. The whole genome sequencing conducted by the DH's Public Health Laboratory Services Branch confirmed that the case carried the Variant of Concern Omicron. Together with the two imported cases (case 12388 and 12404) announced earlier, which also carried the Omicron mutant strains, there are now three relevant cases in Hong Kong. The CHP will continue to closely monitor and follow up on the latest developments of the mutant strain concerned and to implement the most stringent anti-epidemic measures to prevent the mutant strain from entering the local community.
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)."