People walk past a mobile station (left) providing the BioNTech COVID-19 coronavirus vaccine set up in a residential estate in Hong Kong on March 4, 2022. (DALE DE LA REY / AFP)

HONG KONG - Hong Kong's COVID-19 infection tally crossed the 400,000 mark as 52,523 new infections were reported on Friday. 

The new cases comprised 52,512 local infections and 11 imported cases, Albert Au Ka-wing, principal medical and health officer of the Centre for Health Protection’s communicable disease branch, said in a press briefing.

The latest additions brought the total number of COVID-19 cases in Hong Kong to 403,080. More than 390,000 people have been confirmed infected in the latest Omicron outbreak.

The government said elderly people who had received the first Sinovac vaccine now only needed to wait for three weeks, instead of four, before they can take the second jab

Outbreaks were seen in 46 more care homes across the city, bringing the total to 755 in the fifth wave. Au said 72 percent of elderly residential care homes across Hong Kong have infected cases, involving around 9,800 residents, or 13 percent of the total number of elderly people residing in care homes.

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To speed up vaccination against COVID-19 among elderly residents in care homes, Au said people who had received the first Sinovac vaccine now only needed to wait for three weeks, instead of four, before they can take the second jab.

The interval between the two BioNTech doses remains at 21 days.

In view of the latest COVID-19 situation, the government announced on Friday to cancel the 2022 Bun Carnival

Larry Lee Lap-yip, chief manager (integrated clinical services) of the Hospital Authority, said in the same briefing that 136 patients aged between 29 and 102 passed away in the last 24 hours. 

Among them, 97 have not been vaccinated.  

Due to lagging in statistics, Au said 52 deaths have not been reported earlier. Including Friday’s new deaths, the COVID-19 death toll in the fifth wave has risen to 1,341.

Lee also confirmed that the Hospital Authority has started clinical use of anti-viral drug molnupiravir at public hospitals. 

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In view of the latest COVID-19 situation, the government also announced on Friday to cancel the 2022 Bun Carnival.

The carnival, including the traditional bun scrambling competition, was originally scheduled to be held from April to May on Cheung Chau island.