By Daisy CL Mandap
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| Chuang says the BA.2.12.1 sub-variant only causes mild symptoms |
Health officials reported 558 new Covid-19 cases on
Wednesday, including 63 brought in from overseas. They took the total tally from
the fifth wave to 1,203,596.
No new Covid-related deaths were reported, so the overall
toll from the Omicron wave remains at 9,176.
The new cases comprised 257 confirmed via PCR tests
and 301 self-reported rapid test results which for the time, have been
confirmed beforehand in laboratories.
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Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan of the Centre for Health Protection said at today's press conference that most of the confirmed rapid
test results were reported to the government platform two days ago.
Chuang also said 14 new cases of the BA.2.12.1 Omicron
sub-variant have been detected, raising the total tally to 112, with 51 of them
acquired locally.
She said that while cases abroad showed the
sub-variant to be highly transmissible, it does not seem to result in serious
symptoms.
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"We have seen around a dozen transmission chains
in the community that involve the Omicron BA.2.12.1 subvariant," she said.
"The symptoms of all of the cases are mild, which
is similar to BA.2.2. We also haven't seen serious cases. Overseas experiences
have told us that the subvariant is more transmissible but not much difference
in terms of its seriousness.”
Of the new local cases
involving the sub-variant, a number were untraceable, including that of a
52-year-old woman who lives in the same building in Taikoo Shing as an earlier
patient, three members of a family that lives in Tai Ping estate in Sheung
Shui, and a 46-year-old woman who lives in Tseung Kwan O.
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Six other cases could be
linked, Chuang said. They include four family members living at Island Garden
in Chai Wan, and two people who dined separately but at about the same time on
Jun 1 at Ashima Yunnan restaurant in Cityplaza 2 in Taikoo Shing.
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| Two customers of this restaurant in Cityplaza tested positive for the Omicron sub-variant |
Among the 63 imported cases,
16 were detected at the airport, 38 at quarantine hotels and nine
post-isolation.
A total of 94 cases were
reported by 87 schools, involving 61 students and 33 teachers and staff.
Fifty-four were tested positive today, while the remaining 40 were from
yesterday.
Among the schools affected is
the Singaporean International School, which has been closed for two days for
disinfection after two students and a staff tested positive.
Two more cases were linked to
Funful English Primary School in Kowloon Tong and another one to the
international section of the Kiangsu and Chekiang Primary School in North
Point, where the affected classes have already been suspended for a week.
Two Central bars where big
clusters of cases have been uncovered added more infections. At Shuffle on Lan
Kwai Fong, 17 cases were added, pushing the total number there to 114. Chuang
said the additional infections involved nine patrons and two six staff members.
Over at LINQ on Pottinger
Street, two more cases were added, taking the total number of infections to 95.
Virus samples here were similar to those found in Iron Fairies on Hollywood
Bar, and investigations revealed three patrons had been to both bars over a seven-day
period.
Dr Sara Ho of the Hospital Authority
reported that 327 patients are still receiving treatment at various government
hospitals and medical facilities. They include 12 who are in critical condition
and five in serious condition. Four of the critical patients are in intensive
care.
