HONG KONG – Hong Kong's health authorities today reported 27,765 new COVID-19 infections and another 289 deaths.
Officials said 11,956 infections were confirmed by laboratories and the remaining 15,809 were reported by people who took rapid tests.
The Hospital Authority (HA) said 228 COVID-19 patients died over the past day. They were aged between 19 and 107.
Officials also announced 61 deaths which occurred earlier but had not been reported.
A total of 4,355 people have died in this latest wave of infections.
Meanwhile, the Hospital Authority said it was introducing a new online platform for people who know they are infected with COVID-19 but are still at home or in an isolation facility, to enable them to report their health condition to the authorities.
The system will remind people to seek medical care if they have serious symptoms such as a high fever for two days, seizures, chest or stomach pain.
Lau Ka-hin, a chief manager at the authority, said 75 mainland medical workers are now at the Asia-World Expo community treatment facility and are familiarising themselves with the operation there.
He said the mainland health workers will be given the title of “honorary employees” and the authority will take ultimate responsibility for their work.
Lau also said it was undesirable that some patients at the facility have not been given washes due to a tight manpower situation, but he expects this to improve now the mainland team have arrived.
Macau's COVID-19 tally stands at 82, excluding 51 asymptomatic cases, according to official data. No COVID-19 fatalities have been recorded in Macau.
– RTHK, MPD
