Residents line up to get tested for the coronavirus at the lockdown area in Kwai Chung Estate, in Hong Kong, Jan 22, 2022. (KIN CHEUNG/AP)

HONG KONG - Hong Kong reported 26 new confirmed COVID-19 infections and more than 100 preliminary positive cases on Saturday, with most of the suspected cases detected at Kwai Chung Estate's Yat Kwai House that is under a five-day lockdown.

The 26 confirmed cases comprised 25 local infections and one imported case, Chuang Shuk-kwan, head of the Centre for Health Protection’s communicable disease branch, said at a briefing in the afternoon.

READ MORE: HK sees 24 virus cases, Yat Kwai House under 5-day lockdown

Ten of the new cases were found in Yat Kwai House, involving residents, visitors and workers there. Meanwhile, two new cases were reported at the estate's Ying Kwai House. They are a two-year-old girl and a cleaner living on the same floor.

Health workers stand outside a building placed under lockdown at the Kwai Chung Estate public housing complex in Hong Kong on Jan 22, 2022, amid a rise in coronavirus cases fuelled by the Omicron variant. (LOUISE DELMOTTE / AFP)

Chuang said so far there were 96 confirmed and preliminary cases detected at Yat Kwai House, where residents were required to undergo daily COVID-19 testing and stay in their homes until Wednesday.

A number of environmental samples collected at Yat Kwai House tested positive to the coronavirus, including the lift buttons on the eighth floor and the doorknob of the refuse storage chamber, indicating "extensive contamination" in the block, a health official said

A number of environmental samples collected at Yat Kwai House tested positive to the coronavirus, including the lift buttons on the eighth floor and the doorknob of the refuse storage chamber, indicating "extensive contamination" in the block, Chuang said.

Chuang also noted that among the preliminary positive cases was a 49-year-old man who works at a nursing home on the podium of Kwai Chung Estate. He takes care of around 50 elderly residents, who will be sent to the quarantine center if the man's infection is confirmed.

Six students were among the newly confirmed cases. Five study at Lautau Island's Buddhist Fat Ho Memorial College and one at Li Cheng Uk Government Primary School in Sham Shui Po district.

Three of Saturday's new confirmed cases remained untraceable, including a 40-year-old construction worker who lives on Nam Cheong Street, Sham Shui Po and an 81-year-old retiree who lives in Fu Keung House, Tai Wo Hau Estate — a public housing estate just opposite to Kwai Chung Estate.

The third unlinked case was a suspected Delta patient who lives in Lam Bik House at Lam Tin Estate and works at the Cheung Sha Wan Government Offices as a security guard.

ALSO READ: HK govt condemns intimidation of experts over hamster culling

When asked whether the government expected an outbreak across the city, Chuang did not rule out the detection of more positive cases as most of them remained asymptomatic.

"The Omicron variant has a short incubation period. When a case is detected he or she may already have spread the virus," Chuang said.

She called on people to stay vigilant and urged anyone who develops symptoms to get tested as soon as possible in order to break the chain of transmission.