(To watch the full press briefing with sign language interpretation, click here.)

The Centre for Health Protection today said it expects the number of COVID-19 cases to increase due to an abundance of residents returning to Hong Kong.

The centre’s Communicable Disease Branch Head Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan explained the spike in numbers as 48 new cases were recorded.

“We may expect the high number of cases to remain, at least for a few days or one week or two, because the cases we received today, some of their travel history is from a bit earlier. The figure is not those who arrived within the past two days. It includes all those who arrived a few days before.

“So with the high number of Hong Kong residents returning to Hong Kong from overseas, we expect more cases and this may at least last for two weeks or more.”

Today’s cases involve 26 males and 22 females aged between four and 69.

Among them, 35 had a travel history during the incubation period.

Information on flights that COVID-19 patients have taken can be found here.

Passengers who had travelled in the same cabin on the same flights as the patients are urged to call the centre’s hotline at 2125 1122 or 2125 1111, from 8am to midnight daily.

The Government extended the Enhanced Laboratory Surveillance Programme to cover asymptomatic people under the Compulsory Quarantine of Persons Arriving at Hong Kong from Foreign Places Regulation starting yesterday.

People under quarantine aged 65 or above or those under quarantine residing with seniors aged 65 or above are the target individuals.

To facilitate confinees' family members or friends to deliver the saliva samples for COVID-19 testing, the Department of Health will increase the collection points to cover a number of Hospital Authority General Out-patient clinics.

The collection time will be from Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 9.30am, except public holidays.

Collection from 9am to noon on March 21 and 22 will also be arranged at the department’s 13 designated chest clinics or dermatological clinics.

For information and health advice on COVID-19, visit the Government's dedicated webpage.