A man disembarks from a Star Ferry in Hong Kong on Aug 23, 2021. (ISAAC LAWRENCE / AFP)

HONG KONG – Hong Kong reported four new COVID-19 cases on Saturday, including one variant strain infection, bringing the city’s tally to 12,142.

The Centre for Health Protection said in a statement that that cases involved a 60-year-old man from Canada, a 52-year-old man from Japan, a 30-year-old woman from the Philippines and a 27-year-old man who had traveled from the United Arab Emirates.

The man who flown into Hong Kong from Japan carried the L452R variant, the CHP said. He lived at Hong Kin House, Tsz Hong Estate in Tsz Wan Shan and tested negative in Hong Kong on Aug 20.

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He traveled to the United States on Aug 22 and returned to the city on Sept 10 on flight JL735. His specimen collected upon arrival at Hong Kong International Airport tested positive for the L452R mutant strain.

His infection, however, did not carry the N501Y or E484K mutant genes, the CHP said.

He did not show any symptoms and had taken two shots of the Sinovac vaccine on May 31 and June 28 in Hong Kong.

In addition, the Centre for Health Protection was notified of confirmed cases in Japan that involved 16 sea crew members who worked on cargo vessel Ever Calm

As a prudent measure, the building where he resided and the places he had visited during the incubation period had been included in a compulsory testing notice, the CHP said. 

"Specified persons who had been present at the relevant venues at specified periods need to undergo compulsory testing on or before Sept 12."

Meanwhile, the CHP was notified of a confirmed case in the UK on Friday, which involved a woman aged 54.

She lived at 112A, Ma Yau Tong Village in Tseung Kwan O.

She tested negative on Sept 2 in Hong Kong and departed the city for the UK on flight AY1337 the following day.

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Her specimen collected on Sept 5 in the UK tested positive for COVID-19. She remained asymptomatic and had received two doses of BioNTech vaccine on July 18 and Aug 9 in Hong Kong.

“The CHP is following up on the case with the UK health authority and the epidemiological investigations of the case is ongoing,” the center said.

The buildings where she resided in Hong Kong during the incubation period have also been included in a compulsory testing notice. 

In addition, the CHP was notified of confirmed cases in Japan that involved 16 sea crew members who worked on cargo vessel Ever Calm. The vessel arrived in Hong Kong on Sept 1 and had cargo operation at Kwai Tsing Container Terminals No 4 from Sept 2 to 3.

The sea crew members were tested positive for COVID-19 after arriving Osaka on Sept 9. 

The Hong Kong authorities have put Ever Calm under a compulsory testing notice and anyone who had been onboard the vessel during the specified period has to undergo COVID-19 testing on specified dates.