Hong Kong's daily COVID-19 cases surge to 107, new high in month

Hong Kong's Center for Health Protection (CHP) reported 107 additional confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Monday, a new high in about one month.

The new cases included 102 local infections and five imported ones, taking its total tally to 9,664. More than 40 of the new local cases were untraceable and there were about 50 cases tested positive preliminarily, according to a CHP press briefing.

Chuang Shuk-kwan, head of the Communicable Disease Branch of the CHP, told the briefing that about one-fourth of the 661 cases reported in Hong Kong from January 4 until now lived in Yau Ma Tei of Kowloon and mostly were ethnic minorities from South Asia.

The local health authorities have ordered mandatory testing on neighborhoods in that area.

Chuang said the rebound was partly due to the compulsory testing, which was expected. It also signified that there were silent transmissions in the community.

According to Hong Kong's Hospital Authority, 578 COVID-19 patients are currently being treated in public hospitals and the community treatment facility at AsiaWorld-Expo, and 41 patients are in critical condition.

A total of 159 COVID-19 confirmed patients have passed away in public hospitals so far.