The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) announced that as of 0.00am, November 23, the CHP was investigating six additional confirmed cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), taking the number of cases to 12 411 in Hong Kong so far (comprising 12 410 confirmed cases and one probable case).

     The newly reported cases are imported cases. Five of the cases involved mutant strains while the viral load of the remaining case is insufficient for mutation tests. The patients comprise three males and three females, aged 6 to 74. All of them arrived in Hong Kong from Group A specified places (high-risk). Four patients tested positive during the "test-and-hold" arrangement upon arrival at the Temporary Specimen Collection Centre (TSCC) at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) and the remaining two tested positive during quarantine.

     Among the above-mentioned cases, case 12414 involves a 27-year-old female patient, who lives at Winning House, 72-76 Wing Lok Street, Sheung Wan. She departed Hong Kong on November 7 for the United Kingdom (UK) after she tested negative for COVID-19 on November 6. She arrived in Hong Kong on November 21 from the UK by flight VS206 and her specimen collected upon arrival in the TSCC at HKIA tested positive for COVID-19. The patient was asymptomatic. Her Ct value is less than 30 and her specimen carried the L452R mutant strain (but was negative for the N501Y and E484K strains). She works on the 37th floor, International Commerce Centre in Tsim Sha Tsui, and last went to work on November 3. As a prudent measure, the places where she resided, worked and visited in Hong Kong during the incubation period had been included in a compulsory testing notice. Specified persons who had been present at the relevant venues at specified periods need to undergo compulsory testing on the specified date.

     A total of 36 cases have been reported in the past 14 days (November 9 to 22) and all of them are imported cases.

     Also, as a passenger flight (EK384) operated by Emirates from Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, and Bangkok, Thailand, and arriving in Hong Kong on November 21 had three passengers confirmed to have COVID-19 by arrival testing, the DH thus invoked the Prevention and Control of Disease (Regulation of Cross-boundary Conveyances and Travellers) Regulation (Cap. 599H) to prohibit the landing of passenger flights from Dubai and Bangkok operated by Emirates in Hong Kong from November 23 to December 6.

     The CHP's epidemiological investigations and relevant contact tracing on the confirmed cases are ongoing. For case details and contact tracing information, please see the Annex or the "COVID-19 Thematic Website" (www.coronavirus.gov.hk).

     ​​The spokesman for the CHP stressed, "The global situation of COVID-19 infection remains severe and there is a continuous increase in the number of cases involving mutant strains that carry higher transmissibility, and there are also reports of breakthrough infections in some vaccinated individuals. The CHP strongly urges members of the public to avoid all non-essential travel outside Hong Kong, in particular to specified places with high risk under the Prevention and Control of Disease (Regulation of Cross-boundary Conveyances and Travellers) Regulation (Cap. 599H)."

Ends/Tuesday, November 23, 2021
Issued at HKT 14:55

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