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

The Centre for Health Protection today said it is investigating 4,638 additional locally acquired COVID-19 cases, including a 22-month-old girl who is in critical condition and was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit.

At a press briefing to update the public on COVID-19 cases, Expert Advisory Panel member Prof Lau Yu-lung said the girl had a fever, chills and rigors yesterday. Her parents also found her twitching at around 7pm.

The girl lives in the Islands District and her parents took her to the doctor at St. John Hospital on Cheung Chau. The Government Flying Service then transferred her to Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital at around 9.30pm.

Her three-year-old sister tested positive for COVID-19 with a rapid antigen test yesterday.

Prof Lau said the patient’s Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) report showed serious brain edema, causing compression on the brain.

“So the message here is the Omicron variant of COVID-19, as we know now, and from what we have already learnt in the fifth wave of the epidemic, the BA.2 variant can cause very serious neurological complications.

“The message to the public here is to let them know that Omicron is not a minor flu. Of course, in most cases, the infection is not so severe, but in some cases it can be very severe. And the only way to reduce this complication is through vaccination.”

Prof Lau added that the scientific committees under the Centre for Health Protection will discuss in a meeting next week whether to allow toddlers below three years to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.

Regarding the overall newly acquired local cases, 1,786 were directly identified through nucleic acid tests and 2,852 via rapid antigen tests that were verified.

Separately, 248 imported cases were reported.

Five residential care homes recorded positive cases involving residents and staff.

There were also 409 cases reported by 315 schools. Seven schools were subsequently advised to suspend face-to-face lessons for specific classes for a week.

Due to a number of positive cases, 61 specified places are included in a compulsory testing notice. It also covers five specified premises in Fanling, Chai Wan and Tin Shui Wai where some sewage samples tested positive for the virus.

The Government will set up or reopen mobile specimen collection stations at Yee Tai Street Sitting-Out Area in Chai Wan and Cheung Hang Estate in Tsing Yi tomorrow.

Meanwhile, the Government made a restriction-testing declaration to cover Block 6, Fullview Garden in Chai Wan, requiring people in the restricted area to undergo compulsory testing before the specified deadline.

As there were positive sewage test results with relatively high viral loads in several areas of Kowloon City, Yuen Long, Kwai Tsing, Sha Tin and Eastern districts, the Housing Department and respective district offices will distribute COVID-19 rapid test kits to relevant residents as well as cleaning workers and property management staff working there.

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