HONG KONG, June 11 (Bloomberg): Hong Kong recorded a total of 851 new daily Covid-19 cases, the highest number in almost two months, with authorities reporting two more clusters of infections at bars in the city’s Central district.
Of the total new infections, 74 were imported, while no new deaths or critical cases were reported, health authorities said at a briefing Saturday.
While the number of cases has risen in the last couple of weeks from about 200 a day, there has not been a notable increase in hospitalizations and deaths, the Department of Health’s Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan said.
Daily infections have risen to the highest since April 15 after more than 200 were reported from a cluster uncovered at four nightclubs in the popular Central district. Two more outbreaks were found at other bars in the area, Dr Chuang said.
The new clusters involved 18 infections from nightspot Racks City in Wyndham Street, Central, and 13 at a venue called FLM in Soho. The earlier outbreaks were linked to Shuffle nightclub in Lan Kwai Fong, and to Zentral, LINQ and Iron Fairies, all in Central.
The rebound comes after weeks of declining caseloads, and a sense of relief in Hong Kong that the city may finally be through what has been its most lethal and disruptive Covid wave.
The uptick will add to concerns that Hong Kong may backtrack on some of its pandemic easing, particularly as the handover of power from Chief Executive Carrie Lam to her successor, Beijing loyalist John Lee, looms. - Bloomberg
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