People wearing face masks walk in Tsuen Wan, south China's Hong Kong, March 10, 2022. (LO PING FAI / XINHUA)

HONG KONG – Hong Kong logged total 5,953 new COVID-19 infections and seven related deaths on Saturday, the city’s health authorities reported.

The latest seven COVID-induced deaths have pushed the city’s death toll in this latest wave of the pandemic (since Dec 31, 2021) to 10,109

The new cases consisted of 5,589 locally transmitted infections and 364 imported cases, the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health said in a statement.

Of the imported cases, 224 tested positive at the airport, 83 during days 1-3, and the remaining 57 during days 4 to 7, the CHP added.

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The center also said the health authorities had discovered 132 cases of sub-lineage XBB, six of XBD, six of BA.2.75.2, four of BA.4.6, eight of BF.7 and 12 of BQ.1.1 among the imported cases.

Five other cases of sub-lineage XBD and two of BQ.1.1 were detected among the local transmissions.

On Friday, the city recorded 5,393 new COVID-19 cases – including 5,023 locally acquired cases – and nine deaths, similar to the previous day’s tallies.

The latest seven COVID-induced deaths have pushed the city’s death toll in this latest wave of the pandemic (since Dec 31, 2021) to 10,109. Since the pandemic began, Hong Kong has recorded a total of 10,322 COVID deaths, according to the CHP statement.

READ MORE: COVID-19: HK logs 5,393 new cases, 9 deaths

Currently, total 1,839 COVID patients are in hospital for treatment, including 258 new admissions, the Hospital Authority said in a statement.

Total 39 hospitalized COVID sufferers are in serious condition, and 26 in critical condition, which included 10 receiving intensive care, it added.