People take photos of the Hong Kong skyline which is blanketed by heavy rain as severe Tropical Storm Chaba passes close to Hong Kong on July 1, 2022. (ISAAC LAWRENCE / AFP)

HONG KONG - Hong Kong reported 2,318 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, including 11 infections detected at a Kwun Tong restaurant.

The new cases comprised 2,165 local infections and 153 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 11 cases found at a Kwun Tong hot pot restaurant involved eight males and three females who dined there on the night of June 24

He added that 761 of the local cases were confirmed through nucleic acid testing while 1,404 were detected by rapid antigen tests, bringing the city’s tally during the fifth wave to 1,235,484. 

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Au said the 11 cases found at the Kwun Tong hot pot restaurant involved eight males and three females who dined there on the night of June 24. The cases were suspected to involve the infectious Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants.

“They started having symptoms from June 26 to 30..We’ve asked all staff members of the restaurant to get a PCR test,” Au said, adding that the whole eatery underwent a thorough cleansing. 

Au said there were now a total of 63 local BA.4 or BA.5 cases in Hong Kong, including 20 that were untraceable.

“Before, they involved those working in high-risk venues, but recently, we’re seeing local infections (in the community),” Au said.

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He also said four residential care homes for the elderly in Kwai Tsing, Eastern District, Southern District, and Tsuen Wan reported seven cases, involving two staff members and three residents.

Au added that 31 infections of the BA.2.12.1 subvariant were found, including 19 that were untraceable.

Lau Ka-hin, chief manager (quality and standards) of the Hospital Authority, said in the same briefing that there was one new death recorded on Friday, bringing the city’s death toll to 9,189.

The patient who died was an 88-year-old woman who was from a residential care home. She had dementia and suffered multiple strokes, Lau said.

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He said that 666 patients were being treated as of Friday in public hospitals, including 73 new cases. Lau added that 210 were in isolation wards.