People wearing face masks walk past a wall decorated in mosaic at the Yau Ma Tei fruit market in Hong Kong on Nov 22, 2022. (ISAAC LAWRENCE / AFP)

HONG KONG – Hong Kong’s health authorities on Saturday reported logging 8,874 new coronavirus infections including 509 imported ones.

Nine more patients diagnosed with COVID-19 also died, taking tally to 10,672 deaths since beginning of the pandemic, the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health said in a statement.

The announcement came on Saturday, a day before the authorities are set to launch online reservations for Comirnaty bivalent vaccine. Eligible persons aged 12 or above may choose to receive the vaccine from Dec 1.

READ MORE: Comirnaty bivalent jabs arrive in HK, booking opens Sunday

Currently, 2,625 COVID-19 patients are hospitalized for treatment, including 18 requiring ventilator support, said health officials

Of the newly registered coronavirus infections, 8,365 were locally acquired. Total 1,614 cases tested positive by nucleic acid tests while the rest 6,751 through rapid antigen tests (RATs).

Among the imported cases, 278 involved samples taken at the Hong Kong International Airport, 168 involved samples taken during day 1 to day 3 of their arrival, and the remaining 63 involved samples during day 4 to day 7.

The Public Health Laboratory Services Branch has so far 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 imported cases in Hong Kong, the CHP said.

Another 80 cases of sub-lineage XBB, 16 of XBD, one of BA.2.75.2, two of BF.7 and 102 of BQ.1.1 have been detected among locally-transmitted cases, it added.

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The Hospital Authority meanwhile said in a separate statement that 2,625 patients, including 347 new ones, who tested positive for COVID-19 are currently hospitalized for treatment. 

Currently, 18 patients are requiring ventilator support, it said, adding that there are 57 patients in critical condition and 60 in serious condition.