Coronavirus: Hong Kong confirms 342 infections, 135 of them untraceable, as officials warn fifth wave has yet to peak
- Latest caseload marks second day in a row where the number of infections exceeds 300
- Over the past two weeks, more than 320 untraceable cases have emerged, with 80 per cent involving the Omicron variant
As compulsory testing orders issued by the government expanded to 62 premises across the city over the weekend, long queues formed outside testing stations, with some residents in Yuen Long, Sha Tin and Sham Shui Po complaining they were forced to wait several hours to get screened.
Health officials said 135 of the latest infections were untraceable, while an additional 300 preliminary-positive cases were identified.
Over the past two weeks, more than 320 untraceable cases have emerged, with 80 per cent involving the Omicron variant, according to Director of Health Dr Ronald Lam Man-kin, who described the situation as “critical”. Hong Kong has recorded two straight days with the number of infections exceeding 300, and Lam warned that the figure could grow exponentially if a super-spreading event occurred.
“We could not track how many generations of transmission were spread,” he said. “We could not make an accurate estimation on when the peak would arrive. But we are certain that the number has not peaked yet.”
Hong Kong’s overall tally stands at 15,408 infections, with 213 related deaths.