The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) announced that as of 0.00am, December 2, the CHP was investigating six additional confirmed cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), taking the number of cases to 12 446 in Hong Kong so far (comprising 12 445 confirmed cases and one probable case).
The newly reported cases are imported cases which involved mutant strains. The patients comprise five males and one female, aged 22 to 60. Five of them arrived in Hong Kong from Group A specified places (high-risk) and one from Group B specified places (medium-risk). Case 12447 is a close contact of imported cases confirmed previously (cases 12411, 12412, 12413, 12437, 12438, 12439 and 12443) and he tested positive at the Penny's Bay Quarantine Centre. Of the remaining patients, three tested positive during the "test-and-hold" arrangement upon arrival at the Temporary Specimen Collection Centre at Hong Kong International Airport and the other two tested positive during quarantine.
Among the above-mentioned cases, case 12448 involves a 38-year-old male patient, who lives at Tower 2, Florient Rise, 38 Cherry Street, Tai Kok Tsui. He departed Hong Kong on November 9 for Doha, Qatar, after he tested negative for COVID-19 on November 8. He arrived in Hong Kong on November 30 from Doha, Qatar, by flight QR818 and his specimen collected upon arrival in the Temporary Specimen Collection Centre tested positive for COVID-19. The patient is asymptomatic and with Ct value over 30 and his specimen carried the L452R mutant strain (but was negative for the N501Y and E484K strains). He received two doses of COVID-19 vaccination (Comirnaty) on June 20 and September 12 in Hong Kong. Epidemiological investigation and contact tracing of the case is continuing. As a prudent measure, the places where he resided and visited in Hong Kong during the incubation period have been included in a compulsory testing notice. Specified persons who were present at the relevant venues at specified periods need to undergo compulsory testing on the specified date.
A total of 48 cases have been reported in the past 14 days (November 18 to December 1) 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 3):
- Jovial Court, Peninsula Village, Discovery Bay, Lantau Island
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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