People wearing face masks walk on a street in south China's Hong Kong, March 5, 2022. (LO PING FAI / XINHUA)

HONG KONG – Hong Kong’s health authorities on Friday recorded 8,878 new COVID-19 cases in a decrease from Thursday’s figure, and 16 related deaths.

The new cases comprised of 8,316 locally acquired infections and 562 imported ones, the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health said in a statement.

The latest 14 deaths took Hong Kong’s COVID toll to 10,450 during the fifth pandemic wave, the Centre for Health Protection said

Among the imported infections, 336 of them were detected at Hong Kong International Airport, 173 during Day 1 to Day 3, and the remaining 53 between Days 4 and 7.

As of Friday, the Public Health Laboratory Services Branch (PHLSB) had identified 224 cases of sub-lineage XBB, six of XBD, eight of BA.2.75.2, seven of BA.4.6, 12 of BF.7 and 34 of BQ.1.1 among the imported cases. 

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Concurrently, 72 cases of sub-lineage XBB, 16 of XBD, one of BA.2.75.2, two of BF.7 and 82 of BQ.1.1 were detected among the locally-transmitted cases.

Among the specimens received by the PHLSB during Nov 16 to 22 for verification testing of local cases, about 76.5 percent of them (seven-day moving average) are related to the BA.4 or BA.5 (including suspected cases) Omicron subvariant.

The latest 16 deaths took Hong Kong’s COVID toll to 10,450 during the fifth pandemic wave, the CHP added.

Meanwhile, 2,618 COVID patients, including 337 new admissions, are currently hospitalized for treatment. Of them, 271 are requiring oxygen therapy while 15 are on ventilator support, the Hospital Authority said in a separate statement.

Besides, 56 patients are in serious condition at public hospitals and 50 are in critical condition.

Bernard Chan tests positive for COVID

Under Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Bernard Chan has tested positive for COVID-19 through a polymerase chain reaction-based nucleic acid test, the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau said on Friday.

Currently under isolation and having no recent travel history, Chan wore masks and followed relevant disease prevention measures at work, including taking rapid antigen tests daily, the bureau said.

Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Algernon Yau has tested negative through RAT testing so far.