Hong Kong residents queue outside a vaccination center at the Kowloon Bay Sports Centre to get COVID-19 vaccine shots on Feb 26, 2021. (CALVIN NG / CHINA DAILY)

HONG KONG - The Hong Kong government expects vaccination with BioNTech shots, currently suspended, to resume early next week as it continues to liaise with the manufacturer for supply of a fresh batch.

Secretary for the Civil Service Patrick Nip Tak-kuen wrote on his social media page that he was in close touch with mainland firm Fosun Pharma with which German biotech company BioNTech has partnered to supply COVID-19 vaccines to Hong Kong. 

ALSO READ: Fosun, BioNTech find no vaccine safety concerns in initial probe

Nip's assurance came as Hong Kong logged six new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, all but one of which were imported. 

Five of the new cases were imported while the sole local case remains untraceable

Wednesday's sole local case remains untraceable. It involves a 25-year-old man who lives at Kwan Yick Building Phase 3 in Sai Ying Pun, a residential building that had been subjected to an overnight mandatory testing operation on March 17, Chuang Shuk-kwan, head of Hong Kong's Centre for Health Protection’s communicable disease branch, told reporters. Health authorities will inspect Kwan Yick Building Phase 3.

The patient, who tested negative barely two weeks ago, developed symptoms on Monday and visited his workplace at No 46-52 Portland Street in Mong Kok the same day, Chuang said. He works for a property management company, and more than 10 of his colleagues will be quarantined.

Wednesday's five imported cases involve three domestic helpers from the Philippines and one arrival each from Turkey and the United States, Chuang said.

Chuang also reported more than 10 preliminarily positive cases, most of which were imported with at least two of unknown origin.

READ MORE: Testing rules standardized for mainland, Macao, Taiwan arrivals

The infection of a 23-year-old renovation worker living at Yau Lai Estate Chi Lai House in Yau Tong baffled authorities as did that of a 56-year-old woman who developed symptoms on Monday and last went to her workplace, Majesty Seafood Restaurant in Wan Chai, on Wednesday.

Hong Kong's COVID-19 tally stands at 11,467. 

In a statement issued on March 27, the government announced that a “comprehensive investigation covering all aspects of the supply chain” by BioNTech and Fosun Pharma had not found any systemic problems.