People wearing face masks walk on a footbridge during the evening rush hour in Hong Kong on March 4, 2020. (VIVEK PRAKASH / AFP)

HONG KONG - The number of confirmed coronavirus infections in Hong Kong has climbed to 104 as of Thursday afternoon, including one case imported from India, Hong Kong's Centre for Health Protection (CHP) reported at a daily press briefing on Thursday.

The CHP announced on late Wednesday two newly-confirmed cases -- taking the tally in Hong Kong to 104 -- and one probable case. As of Thursday afternoon, the figure remained unchanged, head of the CHP's Communicable Disease Branch Chuang Shuk-kwan said at the press briefing.

A 69-year-old woman, who lives in Hong Kong, developed symptoms during a tour in India, and her case has been classified as an imported case, head of the CHP's Communicable Disease Branch Chuang Shuk-kwan  said

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Out of the two additional cases, one involves a 69-year-old woman, who lives in Hong Kong, but developed symptoms during a tour in India. Her case has been classified as an imported case, Chuang said.

According to CHP's investigations, the woman, with underlying illness, visited Bombay and New Delhi in India from Jan 31 to Feb 24 among a group of 21 independent travelers. 

She had diarrhea since Feb 23 while in India, and she returned to Hong Kong on Cathay Pacific flight CX694 on Feb 24.

She developed fever on Feb 28 and faint at home on Monday, and she consulted a Chinese medical practitioner twice in Hong Kong. 

She tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday and was admitted to hospital in a stable condition.

The patient lives in Landwood Court, Villa Lotto, Happy Valley. 

Since her return, she had visited banks, restaurants, a wet market and supermarkets in Causeway Bay, Central and Sheung Wan. She also stayed shortly at a wedding banquet in Kowloon Tong on Tuesday. 

The authority is tracing the people she has come into contact since returning to Hong Kong.

The case is a "negative example" of disease prevention, as a person with suspected symptoms should not take part in social activities, said executive councilor Lam Ching-choi.

In a phone interview with China Daily, Lam said that preventive measures had not been taken earlier as India was not deemed to be hard hit by the virus. The case has raised alarm about Hong Kong’s prevention arrangements, he added. 

He called on the authorities to enhance its monitoring on the spread of the global outbreak.

As of Thursday, 46 patients have been cured and discharged from hospital in Hong Kong, while 56 remain hospitalized, including one in critical condition and three serious.

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In addition, health authorities will take samples to test for novel coronavirus for all 244 Hong Kong residents who returned from Hubei province on Wednesday on government-arranged flights. 

They have been put under the 14-day mandatory quarantine at Chun Yeung Estate in Fo Tan in eastern New Territories. 

With Xinhua input