PETER PARKS AFP HONG KONG The health authorities of Hong Kong on Friday registered 4,369 cases of COVID - 19, including 3,983 locally transmitted ones, and two related deaths.
The daily caseload was higher than the 4,000 mark for the second consecutive day, as 386 imported cases were included in the new cases. The city had 4,318 new infections, including 3,993 locally transmitted cases, on Thursday, while the number of new cases was 3,642 the previous day.
There were 1,046 confirmed by nucleic acid tests, while the rest 2,937 were confirmed by rapid antigen tests RATs, according to the Centre for Health Protection CHP of the Department of Health.
The Hospital Authority said 1,628 patients, including 198 new ones, who have tested positive for coronaviruses, are currently being treated at different public hospitals.
There are 35 patients who are in critical condition and 16 in serious condition, the HA said. There are three newly reported critical patients and two newly reported serious patients.
There are 959,183 and 832,841 cases that have been confirmed to have tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus by nucleic acid tests and RATs.
READ MORE: HK residents with exemption certificates can get free assessment.
Among the specimens received by the Public Health Laboratory Services Branch during Sept 28 to Oct 4 for verification testing of local cases, about 2.2 percent and 93.4 percent are related to the sub-lineages BA. The CHP was added to 5 of the Omicron mutant strain.