Hong Kong residents line up for the Universal Community Testing Programme at Yuen Wo Road Sports Centre, Shatin on Sept 14, 2020, the program's last day.(EDMOND TANG / CHINA DAILY)

HONG KONG - Hong Kong reported 14 new coronavirus cases on Monday as the Universal Community Testing Programme (UCTP) ended successfully with more than 1.78 million residents taking the tests. 

Chuang Shuk-kwan, head of the Centre for Health Protection's Communicable Disease Branch, said the news cases included 12 local infections and two imported cases 

In a media briefing on Monday afternoon, Chuang Shuk-kwan, head of the Centre for Health Protection's Communicable Disease Branch, said the new cases included 12 local infections and two imported cases.  

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Among the 12 local infections, nine were linked to previously confirmed cases.The infection source of three patients was unclear, but two of them were found to have dined at a restaurant in Tuen Mun, which is linked to another new patient, Chuang said. 

The two imported cases were from India and the Philippines, she added.

According to the Hospital Authority, a 77-year-old man became the city’s 100th coronavirus-related fatality.

The man had chronic illnesses and was admitted to United Christian Hospital after reporting a fever and a cough on Aug 27.

A total of about 1.783 million people participated in the 14-day UCTP as the program concluded successfully on Monday. 

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As of 8pm of September 14, a total of about 1,719,000 specimens collected under the UCTP had been tested. A total of about 1,376,000 persons had made appointments since August 29 when the online booking system opened.

In a statement issued on Monday night, a Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government spokesman said the successful and smooth operation of the UCTP hinged on the full support of the central government by establishing quickly a nucleic acid test support team to enhance the testing capability of Hong Kong in a short period of time. 

More than 570 members of the support team have completed their mission by working zealously days and nights in temporary laboratories. They deserve everyone's deep respect, the spokesman said.

The HKSAR government also expressed its gratitude to some 6,000 healthcare personnel and students who were responsible for collecting specimens, as well as some 4,000 serving and retired civil servants who undertook administrative support duties.     

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The spokesman said although the UCTP had ended, the HKSAR government would continue to extend and conduct repeated testing for target groups or vulnerable groups, and would not relax its anti-epidemic efforts.

A total of 30 patients had been found infected through the free testing, which began on Sept 1. Hong Kong’s total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases stood at 4,971.