HK Reports Seven Imported Covid Cases

Health authorities on Monday reported seven new imported Covid-19 cases.

Six of the infections involved mutant strains while the viral load of the remaining case was insufficient for mutation tests.

The patients, aged between 18 and 78, arrived from the United States, United Kingdom, Poland and Germany.

Authorities also ordered people who live in block one of Rambler Crest in Tsing Yi to undergo tests, after one of the patients – a 22-year-old man – tested positive after he returned from Poland and Germany on December 18.

He'd tested negative before leaving the territory on December 7.

Meanwhile, authorities said five imported cases reported over the weekend involved the Omicron variant, bringing Hong Kong's Omicron tally to 19.

Separately, officials banned Cathay Pacific from operating flights from New York for two weeks until January 2 after three passengers who returned on flight CX845 on Sunday tested positive for Covid-19.