Hong Kong reported 4,285 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, more than twice the previous record set two days ago.
Of the new infections, 4,264 were locally transmitted.
The Centre for Health Protection said it also recorded 7,000 preliminary positive cases.
“The rising trend has not reversed… It’s very worrying as there is still transmission in the community,” said Chuang Shuk-kwan, head of the center’s communicable disease branch. “We hope the public can reduce social gatherings.”
Besides two earlier reported fatalities involving a three-year-old girl and a 100-year-old woman, the city saw seven more coronavirus-related deaths on Tuesday and Wednesday.
They include a 37-year-old man who was suffering from a chronic illness. The others’ ages ranged from 72 to 97 years old.
Sara Ho, the Hospital Authority’s chief manager (patient safety and risk management), noted that the three-year-old was infected with the Omicron variant. She did not have any chronic disease.
Ho said that most of the death cases were not jabbed against COVID-19, but added they were not sure of the vaccination history of some of these patients.
She added that 224 patients confirmed or preliminary confirmed for COVID-19 infection have passed away in public hospitals.
A total of 17 people — aged between 45 and 91 — are in critical condition.
Ho said that around 17 per cent of the new confirmed cases in the past two weeks are below the age of 17. Out of this group, around 9 per cent are aged six or below.
