HONG KONG – The cumulative death toll in the latest Omicron outbreak in Hong Kong surged past 5,000 today as the total caseload crossed the milestone of one million.
For the day, the number of new COVID-19 cases dropped further to 20,082 – 7,966 of which were confirmed by PCR tests while 12,116 were reported by people who tested positive using rapid test kits.
Officials said 206 COVID-19 patients died at public hospitals over the past day.
One of those who died was a 25-year-old patient with chronic illnesses.
The Hospital Authority (HA) and the Centre for Health Protection also reported 59 deaths that occurred earlier.
There have been 1,004,313 COVID-19 cases and 5,188 deaths so far in the latest wave of infections, authorities said.
Almost 60 percent of the deaths involved infected care home residents.
The HA added that more than 10,000 COVID-19 patients are currently at public hospitals and community treatment facilities.
Meanwhile, the HA also announced that from today, COVID-19 patients could make bookings via its mobile app to see a doctor at one of its designated clinics.
Macau's COVID-19 tally stands at 82, excluding 54 asymptomatic cases, according to official data. No COVID-19 fatalities have been recorded in Macau since the special administrative region confirmed its first novel coronavirus case on January 22, 2020 – RTHK, MPD
