People visit a promenade next to Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong on March 31, 2022. (DALE DE LA REY / AFP)

HONG KONG - Hong Kong reported 3,138 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, which is fewer than the 3,709 infections recorded on Sunday, bringing the city’s tally during the fifth wave of the pandemic to 1.16 million. 

Albert Au Ka-wing, principal medical and health officer of the Centre for Health Protection’s communicable disease branch, said in a press briefing that the new cases included 3,126  local infections and 12 imported cases. 

Albert Au Ka-wing, principal medical and health officer of the Centre for Health Protection’s communicable disease branch, urged members of the public to observe social-distancing measures during the Ching Ming Festival on Tuesday and the coming Easter holidays

He said 1,589 were confirmed through nucleic acid tests and 1,549 by rapid antigen tests.

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The imported cases included two air crew members from South Korea and Germany and two more travelers from South Korea and one each from the Philippines, Thailand, India, Malaysia, Spain, and Ireland, he added.

Pointing out that the risk of infection in the city remained high, Au urged members of the public to observe social-distancing measures during the Ching Ming Festival on Tuesday and the coming Easter holidays. 

“In recent days, there has been a downward trend in the number of infections. This is clear. But although there has been a decline, we are still seeing infections to the tune of a few thousands,” Au said.

“It is still at a high level. This means that in the community, several thousands of people are infected everyday, and many of these come from RAT tests. That means the viral load is high,” he added.  

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Lau Ka-hin, chief manager (quality and standards) of the Hospital Authority, said in the same briefing that 77 patients infected with COVID 19 passed away in the last 24 hours, including 47 men and 30 women aged 41 to 99.

He said 26 came from residential care homes, 41 were unvaccinated, and only two had three vaccine jabs.  The two patients who had three jabs were elderly--aged 75 and 88--and suffered from different chronic diseases.  

Lau added that there were also 13 deaths that were not reported earlier.