The Centre for Health Protection today said it is investigating 26 additional COVID-19 cases.

The cases consist of one imported case, while 19 are related to imported cases, three are locally infected, and three are epidemiologically linked with local cases.

The patients comprise 14 men and 12 women. Twenty-five cases involve mutant strains, and the remaining one’s mutation test result is pending.

Meanwhile, the Hospital Authority announced that two patient care assistants at Princess Margaret Hospital had tested preliminarily positive for COVID-19. Eleven staff members classified as close contacts are required to undergo quarantine.

Separately, the centre said nine virus cases related to pet shops have been identified so far.

It has collected 738 environmental samples from the city’s pet shops and relevant warehouses, among which 34 environmental samples tested positive, including those from i love rabbit on Tung Choi Street in Mong Kok and i love rabbit on Lee Garden Road in Causeway Bay.

As a prudent measure, these two places will be included in a compulsory testing notice, and their staff members will have to undergo compulsory quarantine at a quarantine centre.

In view of the cases which tested preliminary positive and those confirmed positive, as well as the sewage samples collected in Kwai Chung which tested positive for the virus, 95 places are covered in a compulsory testing notice.

The Government will set up or reopen mobile specimen collection stations at various locations in the city, while a few others will cease operations today under the latest epidemic development.

Furthermore, as Ethiopian Airlines’ passenger flight ET608 from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and Bangkok, Thailand arriving on January 19 had one passenger who tested positive upon arrival, and two passengers who failed to comply with the requirements under the Prevention and Control of Disease (Regulation of Cross-boundary Conveyances & Travellers) Regulation, the Government decided to prohibit the landing of passenger flights in Hong Kong from Addis Ababa and Bangkok operated by the carrier from today until February 4.

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