A man walks past a street food shop in Hong Kong on March 25, 2022. (ISAAC LAWRENCE / AFP)

HONG KONG - Hong Kong reported 3,254 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, which is slightly more than the 3,138 infections recorded on Monday.

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 3,238 local infections and 16 imported cases. 

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He said 1,658 were confirmed through nucleic acid tests and 1,596 by rapid antigen tests.

The total number of COVID-19 deaths in Hong Kong's fifth wave of the pandemic rose to 8,136, with the mortality rate rising to 0.7 percent, said Albert Au Ka-wing of the Centre for Health Protection

Fourteen of the 16 imported cases were detected under the "test-and-hold" arrangement at Hong Kong International Airport, involving travelers from the UK, Thailand, Turkey, the Netherlands, Qatar, Canada, Australia and France. The remaining four cases involved travelers from Singapore and Spain undergoing isolation at quarantine hotels, Au said.

Three or more travelers each on board an inbound Qatar Airways flight and Cathay Pacific flight have tested positive for the coronavirus upon arrival at Hong Kong airport. The government has, therefore, suspended the landing in Hong Kong of Qatar flights from Doha and of Cathay flights from Manchester between April 6 and 12 under the flight suspension mechanism, he noted.

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The total number of COVID-19 deaths in Hong Kong's fifth wave of the pandemic rose to 8,136, with the mortality rate rising to 0.7 percent, according to Au.

Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor on Tuesday offered her condolences to the families who lost their loved ones to COVID-19 as she mourned the deaths on behalf of the government on Ching Ming Festival.

Lau Ka-hin, chief manager (quality and standards) of the Hospital Authority, said in the same briefing that 81 patients infected with COVID 19 passed away in the last 24 hours, including 55 men and 26 women aged 60 to 100.

He said 38 came from residential care homes and 54 were unvaccinated.

Lau added that there were also six deaths between Feb 21 and April 3 that were not reported earlier.

At present, 12 critical patients are being treated in hospital intensive care units while 24 patients were in serious condition.