People queue outside a COVID-19 testing center in Hong Kong on November 22, 2020 as a spike in cases brings in tighter restrictions and forcing a planned travel bubble between Hong Kong and Singapore to be scrapped a day before its launch on November 21. (PETER PARKS / AFP)

HONG KONG - Hong Kong reported 73 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, including 50 more infections linked to dance studios, health officials said.

In a media briefing on Monday afternoon, Chuang Shuk-kwan, head of the communicable disease branch of the Centre for Health Protection, said the 73 new cases included 63 local infections and 10 imported cases.

Chuang Shuk-kwan, head of the communicable disease branch of the Centre for Health Protection, said the 73 new cases included 63 local infections and 10 imported cases

She added that more than 70 other persons tested preliminary positive for the virus. The city’s tally of confirmed cases stood at 5,701.

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Of the 63 new local infections, eight cases were of unknown origin and 55 linked to previous cases, including those linked to 14 dance centers, Chuang said.

The dance cluster, with 132 cases, is now the city’s biggest virus cluster since COVID-19 was first detected in the city in January. The previous biggest cluster involved bar and pubs which had 103 infections. 

The Hospital Authority also announced that the community treatment center set up at the AsiaWorld-Expo will be activated again on Wednesday to cope with surging number of infected people.

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Speaking on a radio program, Secretary for Food and Health Sophia Chan Siu-chee said the government was waiting for more data from health authorities to decide to what extent social distancing rules should be tightened.

Meanwhile, underprivileged Hong Kong residents, who were confirmed on Sunday or a later date as locally infected, can receive a HK$5,000 (US$645) one-off grant from the government, Secretary for Labour and Welfare Law Chi-kwong said at another press briefing. The patients are required to prove their income decreases due to their hospitalization.  

Employee who enjoy paid sick leaves cannot apply for the subsidy, Law explained.