The Centre for Health Protection today said it is investigating seven additional imported COVID-19 cases involving five men and two women.

The seven patients arrived from high-risk places. While four of them came from Group A specified places, three flew in from a Group A specified place with enhanced surveillance.

Furthermore, five cases involve the N501Y mutant strain, one entails the L452R mutant strain, while the remaining case’s viral load is insufficient for a mutation test.

Among the seven cases, a 22-year-old male patient departed Hong Kong on December 7 for Poland after testing negative for COVID-19 on the same day.

After landing in Hong Kong on December 18 on flight QR818, his specimen collected upon arrival tested positive for the virus.

The patient was asymptomatic with a cycle threshold (Ct) value over 30 and his specimen carried the N501Y mutant strain.

He lives at Block 1, Rambler Crest in Tsing Yi. As a prudent measure, the places where he had resided and visited in Hong Kong during the incubation period have been included in a compulsory testing notice which requires specified people to undergo compulsory testing on or before tomorrow.

Separately, the whole genome sequencing analysis conducted by the Department of Health’s Public Health Laboratory Services Branch confirmed that case numbers 12522, 12523, 12524, 12526 and 12527 announced on December 18 and 19 all carry the Omicron variant. So far, 19 Omicron cases have been identified in Hong Kong.

In view of two preliminary positive imported cases involving patients who had stayed in Hong Kong during the incubation period, five specified premises are included in a compulsory testing notice.

For the three specified premises in Tai Po covered in yesterday's compulsory testing notice including Tai Po Hui Cooked Food Centre, Tai Po Hui Market and Plover Cove Road Market, the relevant testing deadline will be extended to December 22.

The Government has set up a mobile specimen collection station at the Tai Po Community Centre basketball court which will tentatively operate until the same day.

Meanwhile, as Cathay Pacific flight CX845, arriving from New York on December 19, had three passengers on board confirmed with COVID-19 by arrival testing, the department has invoked a law to prohibit the landing of its passenger flights from New York in Hong Kong from today to January 2, 2022.

A total of 65 cases have been reported in the past 14 days, all of which were imported.

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