The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) today said it is investigating 14 additional COVID-19 cases, taking the number of confirmed cases in Hong Kong to 1,299.

The new cases comprise nine local cases and five that had travel history during the incubation period.

One of the local cases involves a resident of a residential care home for the elderly. Residents and staff there were identified as close contacts and will be sent to quarantine centres for quarantine.

For other local cases confirmed today, in addition to distributing deep throat saliva specimen bottles to residents of buildings involved as well as students and teachers of a school attended by one of the patients, the CHP has adopted further precautionary measure for early detection of possible transmission in the community.

Deep throat saliva specimen bottles will be distributed to those who visited a restaurant at 26-28 Man Ying Street in Jordan in connection with the 1,289th case and those who visited an eatery on 1/F of Kings Wing Plaza 1 in Sha Tin in relation to the 1,293rd case.

Patrons of these two establishments can send their name, postal address and dates of visit to bottle@dh.gov.hk so that specimen bottles can be mailed to them.

Epidemiological investigations and contact tracing on the confirmed cases are ongoing.

Additionally, the Hospital Authority reported that 128 confirmed COVID-19 patients are currently hospitalised and 1,161 confirmed and suspected patients have been discharged.

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