An elderly woman pushes a cart with a cardboard box for recycling in Hong Kong on March 8, 2021. (ANTHONY WALLACE / AFP)

HONG KONG - Hong Kong reported 21 new COVID-19 infections on Tuesday, the highest daily increase since Feb 28, pushing the city’s tally to 11,120.

There were eight local cases, including three that were untraceable, Chuang Shuk-kwan, head of the Centre for Health Protection’s communicable disease branch, said at a briefing.

There were eight local cases, including three that were untraceable, said Chuang Shuk-kwan, head of the Centre for Health Protection’s communicable disease branch

The three lived at Dawning Views in Fanling, Sing Fai Building in Sai Ying Pun and Coastal Skyline Tower 1 in Tung Chung, which would all be subject to mandatory testing orders, Chuang said.

The Tung Chung patient is a 56-year-old man who went to the Coast Seafood & Grill in Causeway Bay on Feb 22, the day when a total of four patients visited the restaurant, including one who also dined at Mr Ming’s Chinese Dining restaurant at K11 Musea shopping center.

A worker at Mr Ming’s Chinese Dining was also confirmed to be infected on Tuesday, bringing the total number of patients in this cluster to 52, Chuang said.

She added that 13 imported cases came from Pakistan, the Philippines, Canada, Singapore and Nigeria.

ALSO READ: 104,000 HK residents receive jabs as experts clear the air

There were also fewer than 10 people who tested preliminarily positive for the coronavirus, including three persons with an unknown source of infection, Chuang said.

Among the three untraceable cases was that of a 26-year-old worker at a care home for persons with  intellectual disabilities in Kwun Tong, Chuang added. More than 50 residents and 20 workers were quarantined.

Meanwhile, travelers to Beijing from Hong Kong will be required starting Monday to present a valid proof of a negative virus test result issued within seven days, with the method of specimen collection confined to nasopharyngeal swab or combined nasal and throat swab.

READ MORE: More HK residents eligible for vaccine as city logs 9 virus cases

This means deep throat saliva sampling would no longer recognized by the capital’s city government and people will not be allowed to board their plane in Hong Kong if they did not undergo the required method of COVID-19 testing.