In this file photo, a health worker prepares to take a swab sample from a taxi driver to test for COVID-19 in Hong Kong, July 24, 2020. (EDMOND TANG / CHINA DAILY)

HONG KONG – Hong Kong reported 23 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, including six local infections with unknown origin, pushing the city’s total number of confirmed cases to 5,430.

Four taxi drivers and one rehabilitation bus driver were among the six cases with no known origin, said Chuang Shuk-kwan, head of the communicable disease branch of the Centre for Health Protection, at a press briefing.

Four taxi drivers and one rehabilitation bus driver were among the six cases with no known origin, said Chuang Shuk-kwan, head of the communicable disease branch of the Centre for Health Protection

The remaining untraced case involved a 42-year-old patient who lived in Tsing Lung Tau in southwest New Territories and worked in Kowloon Bay, said Chaung.

One of the 23 new cases was local infection linked to a previous case, while the remaining 16 cases were imported, said Chuang.

Among the imported cases, six were from Nepal, two each from Indonesia and Turkey, and one each from the Philippines, Britain, United States, Sweden, Germany and India, Chuang said.

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She added that two preliminary positive patients await confirmation.

Chuang said the increasing number of untraceable infections recorded sporadically across Hong Kong was worrying. She urged the public to avoid unnecessary activities as much as possible to help to contain the epidemic.

According to Hong Kong's Hospital Authority, 100 patients were still being treated in hospitals, including six in critical condition.

Meanwhile, the Transport Department on Thursday began providing another round of free virus tests for taxi drivers that will last until Nov 18.

Taxi drivers can collect the testing kit by presenting their valid taxi driver identity plate at any of the four temporary distribution/collection centers.

They are required to register on the government website and then return to any of the collection centers on the same day to submit their deep throat saliva sample.

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Those who test negative can collect the Anti-epidemic Tag for Taxi Drivers from their relevant taxi trade organizations by showing the SMS indicating the test result.

They can then display the tag at a prominent position inside their taxi compartment so that passengers can check it.