Hong Kong reports 1,199,227 new COVID-19 cases

Patrons enjoy a drink at a bar in Lan Kwai Fong where bars are reopened as the government relaxes social distancing rules on May 19, 2022. Albert Au, the principal medical and health officer of the Communicable Disease Branch of the Centre for Health Protection, said at a press conference that the new cases consisted of 31 imported infections and 239 local cases, bringing the total to 1,199, 227.

He said that 116 infections were confirmed by nucleic acid testing and 154 by rapid antigen testing.

Au said 11 patrons of the Bar Zentral Club on the fourth floor of the California Tower on 32 D'Aguilar Street were confirmed to have been infected.

According to the records of their LeaveHomeSafe app, they visited the bar between 11 pm on May 21 and 5 am on May 22, Au said.

Six men and women, aged 17 to 29, sat at different tables and all showed mild symptoms between May 20 and May 26. They have been vaccinated for at least two doses, Au added.

The place will be added to the compulsory testing notice and anyone who visited the bar during the same time will have to receive compulsory COVID 19 testing.

One of the patrons is a 23-year-old basketball coach who taught a training session at the Tang Pui King Memorial College in Pok Oi Hospital on May 24. Six of the 30 students from 24 classses who attended the session have tested positive, Au said.

Au said that the 30 students will need to undergo home quarantine along with their close contacts.

Larry Lee Lap-yip, chief executive Integrated Clinical Services of the Hospital Authority, said at the briefing that a 77-year-old man infected with COVID 19 passed away in the last 24 hours, raising the death toll during the fifth wave of COVID 19 to 9,163.