COVID-19 Cases, Deaths and Hospital Bed Occupancy in Hong Kong at Start of New Year

A trolley carrying Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 coronavirus vaccines is transported to a warehouse after being unloaded from a Cathay Pacific cargo plane at Hong Kong International Airport in Hong Kong on Feb. 27, 2021. (JEROME FAVRE/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

In the recent COVID-19 escalation in Hong Kong, the daily cases increased throughout December and peaked at 24,895 on Dec. 28, 2022, and in the first week of the new year, although cases were falling, they were still running at a 7-day average of 20,500 on Jan. 6.

Center for Health Protection Report

On Jan. 6, The Center for Health Protection announced that 19,722 new confirmed cases were recorded in Hong Kong, including 19,527 local cases and 195 imported cases.

A further 55 patients passed away, bringing the total number of deaths during the fifth wave of the pandemic in Hong Kong to 11,991.

In 22 nursing homes, 39 new positive cases were recorded, including 37 elderly residents and two employees, and in 10 disability homes, 11 residents and two employees were diagnosed with COVID-19.

In education institutions, 840 schools reported 1,791 new coronavirus cases, including 1,486 students and 305 teaching staff.

As of Jan. 5, the Center for Health Protection of the Health Authority has found 226 cases of XBB, 6 cases of XBD, and 8 cases of BA 2.75.2, seven instances of BA. 4.6, 13 cases of BF. 7, and 38 BQ. 1.1 sub-lineage confirmed patients in imported cases. A total of 169 XBB, 18 XBD, 1 BA.2.75.2, 24 BF.7, and 195 BQ.1.1 subseries cases were found in local cases.

So far, there have been 1,190,532 nucleic acid-positive cases and 1,549,445 rapid antigen-positive cases in Hong Kong, and 12,204 people have died from COVID-19.

Hospital Authority Report

On Jan. 6, The Hospital Authority announced that 5,032 COVID-19 patients were hospitalized in public hospital facilities; of those, 517 were newly diagnosed patients, 2,952 were quarantined in isolation facilities, 827 people were receiving oxygen treatment, 92 patients required ventilators to help with breathing and the remaining 736 patients were receiving normal treatment.

The hospital Authority reported 49 COVID-19 confirmed patients had died in public hospitals during the previous 24 hours. According to a preliminary analysis, the cause of death of 30 patients was due to the epidemic, and 19 died for other reasons.

As of Jan. 6, there are 215 critical and 248 severe coronavirus patients hospitalized, and 54 patients in serious condition have received intensive care treatment.

On Jan. 5, 600 patients recovered from COVID-19, and 506 patients were discharged from hospital care.

The overall occupancy of hospital beds in internal medicine in emergency hospitals is at 114 percent.