The Centre for Health Protection today announced that Hong Kong has entered the 2019-20 winter influenza season.

It said that the percentage of respiratory specimens that tested positive for seasonal influenza viruses has increased steadily since mid-December last year and rose to 10.09% last week, ending January 4.

The overall admission rate with principal diagnosis of influenza in public hospitals also increased to 0.40 per 10,000 people last week.

Both figures exceeded the baseline thresholds, it said.

As of January 5, about 1,190,000 doses of seasonal influenza vaccines were administered through vaccination programmes, up by 17% from the same period in the 2018-19 season.

The centre reminded the public to get vaccinated for the influenza season and urged people to maintain good personal and environmental hygiene.