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 reported 8,810 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday while 16 more infected patients passed away, health authorities said.

The Centre for Health Protection said in a statement that the new cases included 8,153 local infections and 657 imported cases. The city had 7,547 new infections on Tuesday.

The 16 new reported deaths brought the city’s toll during the current wave of infections to 10,534, the Centre ffor Health Protection said

The 16 reported deaths brought the city’s toll during the current wave of infections to 10,534, the CHP added.

It said 20 residential care homes for the elderly and persons with disabilities had 27 new cases while 773 schools reported 1,201 students and 265 staff members testing positive for the virus. 

Twenty-three schools had to suspend 24 in-person classes for one week due to infections, the CHP said.

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As of Wednesday, the Public Health Laboratory Services Branch had identified 224 cases of sub-lineage XBB, six of XBD, eight of BA.2.75.2, seven of BA.4.6, 13 of BF.7 and 35 of BQ.1.1 among imported cases in Hong Kong, the CHP said. 

Ninety-four cases of sub-lineage XBB, 17 of XBD, one of BA.2.75.2, three of BF.7 and 108 of BQ.1.1 have also been detected among local infections, it added.

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The CHP also said that 73.4 percent of new cases verified from Nov 21 to 27 were linked to the BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron subvariants.