Covid Tally Hovers Above 1,000 For Fourth Day

Health officials reported 1,160 new local Covid infections on Saturday - the fourth straight day the caseload has remained in four digits.

The Centre for Health Protection's Albert Au said two more people linked to a police unit had contracted the virus, bringing the total number in the cluster to 22.

Dr Au said the officers might have become infected during physical training or meals at work, and so far their 130 or so colleagues had all tested negative for the virus.

Meanwhile, a class at the Greenfield English (International) Kindergarten in Lohas Park, and another class at the primary section of Evangel College in Tsueng Kwan O, have been suspended due to a handful of infections.

More than 10 people linked to two elderly homes in Tsuen Wan and Fanling have also being quarantined after the facilities reported new Covid cases.

Dr Au said statistics showed that the ratio of elderly Covid patients had fallen compared to the peak of the fifth wave, and that many patients who had recently caught the virus were younger people.

"About 54 percent of the cases reported in the past week or so were people aged between 20 and 49. The [proportion of] elderly people was around 18 percent," he said.

"The increase in infections we are seeing now is probably mainly due to the relaxation of social distancing measures. People are going out, and there is more transmission in the community... This probably affects people in the younger age groups. As for the elderly, this time we haven't seen big outbreaks at care homes so far."

There were also 116 imported cases.