In this Jan 8, 2023 photo, people queue at the Lok Ma Chau Control Point in Hong Kong before traveling to neighboring Shenzhen, south China. Hong Kong registered 2,296 new COVID cases on Jan 25, 2023. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

HONG KONG – Hong Kong’s health authorities on Wednesday reported 2,295 new COVID-infected patients even as 27 people passed away from the infection.

The new cases comprised 2,265 locally acquired infections and 30 imported ones, according to the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH).

As of Wednesday, the government had not identified any new cases involving mutant strains

Wednesday’s daily coronavirus infections bucked the continuous, downward trend, where the city recorded 1,987 cases on Tuesday, down from 2,271 on Monday, 2,737 last Sunday, 3,507 last Saturday, 3,789 last Friday, and 4,015 last Thursday, data show.

Across the city, 11 residential care homes for the elderly and disabled recorded 20 infections involving 17 residents and three staff members, the CHP said.

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The CHP added that 36.33 percent of new specimens verified between Oct 10, 2022 and Jan 25, 2023 were linked to the BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron sub-variants.

No cases were reported from schools during the Lunar New Year holidays.

As of Wednesday, the government had not identified any new cases involving mutant strains.

Meanwhile, the Hospital Authority (HA) said of the 2,440 COVID patients in hospital, 157 were newly admitted, 1,203 required isolation, 384 were receiving oxygen therapy, and 50 were on ventilator support.

The HA also said 129 COVID patients were in serious condition and 124 in critical condition, including 28 receiving intensive care.

With Wednesday's deaths, the city’s toll stood at 13,230, the health authorities said.

The HA added that the overall occupancy of medical beds in hospitals stood at around 90 percent.