The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) announced that as of 0.00am, December 15, the CHP was investigating one additional confirmed case of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), taking the number of cases to 12 497 in Hong Kong so far (comprising 12 496 confirmed cases and one probable case).

     The newly reported case is an imported case which involved a mutant strain. The 46-year-old male patient arrived in Hong Kong from a Group A specified place (high-risk) and tested positive during the "test-and-hold" arrangement upon arrival at the Temporary Specimen Collection Centre (TSCC) at Hong Kong International Airport.

     A total of 59 cases have been reported in the past 14 days (December 1 to 14) and all of them are imported cases.

     Meanwhile, the CHP provided an update on the latest investigations on an imported case announced yesterday (case 12498), involving a 21-year-old female patient who arrived in Hong Kong from the United States by flight CX845 on December 12 and tested positive during the "test-and-hold" arrangement upon arrival at the TSCC. She had received two doses of COVID-19 vaccination (Comirnaty) in the US on May 12 and June 2. She developed symptoms on December 11. The Ct value for the test after admission on December 12 is less than 30 and she tested positive for antibodies. The whole genome sequencing conducted by the DH's Public Health Laboratory Services Branch confirmed that the case carried the Variant of Concern Omicron. There are so far nine cases involving Omicron in Hong Kong (cases 12388, 12404, 12432, 12433, 12478, 12490, 12491, 12495 and 12498), and were all detected at the Hong Kong International Airport restricted area, at a designated quarantine facility or at a designated quarantine hotel. There has not been any spread in the community. The CHP will adopt the most stringent prevention and control measures to prevent the mutant strain from entering the local community.

     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/Wednesday, December 15, 2021
Issued at HKT 14:45

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