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

The Centre for Health Protection today said it is investigating 115 additional COVID-19 cases, of which 111 are locally infected and four are imported. Among the local cases, six have unknown sources of infection.

There were outbreaks at two schools - Yuen Yuen Institute No.3 Secondary School and Lee I Yao Memorial Secondary School, it added.

The centre’s Communicable Disease Branch Head Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan told a press briefing that the virus was still transmitted despite a lack of interaction between the students.

“Even (in) those settings where (students) sit in the classrooms and have exams (and) supposedly do not interact with each other, there is still transmission. So it is likely that the Omicron (variant) is very infectious.”

As regards the cases with unknown infection sources, two of them are retirees aged 65 and 70. One of them lives in Kwai Fong Estate in Kwai Chung and the other lives in Tsz Ching Estate in Tsz Wan Shan.

Dr Chuang noted that the virus appears to be spreading in the community.

“Some of the retired people are now also infected. The only places they usually (go to) are markets. It is very difficult to trace markets because everybody goes to markets, so you never know whether the source of infection is from there.

“And they mainly stay at home and do not go to special places, so I think the transmission is quite widespread in the community.”

Separately, the Government tonight made restriction-testing declarations to cover Block D, Loong King Mansion, 23-35H Ma Tau Wai Road and 9-31 Man Yue Street in Hung Hom as well as Tai Yuen House, 77-83 Tai Pa Street in Tsuen Wan.

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