People buy Lunar New Year decorations in Hong Kong on Jan 9, 2023 for the upcoming Year of the Rabbit. (PETER PARKS / AFP)

HONG KONG – The number of new COVID-19 cases in Hong Kong dropped for the fourth consecutive day to 9,379 on Tuesday, while 75 more COVID patients passed away, the health authorities said.

In a statement, the Centre for Health Protection said the new cases included 9,152 local infections and 227 imported cases. The city reported 11,641 cases on Monday, 14,113 on Sunday, 15,850 on Saturday, and 19,772 the day before.

The 75 new reported deaths brought the city’s toll during the current fifth wave of infections to 12,268, the CHP said.

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Seventeen residential care homes for the elderly and people with disabilities recorded a total of 19 residents and one staff member getting infected

Seventeen residential care homes for the elderly and people with disabilities recorded a total of 19 residents and one staff member getting infected.

The CHP also said that 774 schools reported 1,5905 students and 244 staff members tested positive for the coronavirus.

As of Tuesday, the Public Health Laboratory Services Branch (PHLSB) had identified 277 cases of sub-lineage XBB, 38 of BQ1.1, 13 of BF.7, eight of BA2.75.2 and six of XBD among the imported cases in Hong Kong.

Meanwhile, 199 cases of BQ.1.1, 175 of XBB, 30 of BF.7, 18 of XBD and one of BA2.75.2 were also detected among the local cases.

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Among the local specimens received by the PHLSB from Jan 1 to 7 for verification, 49.12 percent were linked to the Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5.