Among the cases, 2,085 were locally transmitted while the remaining 183 were imported cases, according to the Centre for Health Protection’s Chuang Shuk-kwan.

Meanwhile, 106 of the imported cases were detected at the airport, 61 at quarantine hotels and 16 were patients who tested positive after they completed the seven-day isolation. The caseload of the fifth wave now exceeded 1.243 million.

A total of 321 positive cases were reported by 243 schools, including 268 students and 52 staff members.

Salesians of Don Bosco Ng Siu Mui Secondary School, TWGHs Chiap Hua Cheng's Nursery School, Tuen Mun Government Primary School, General Chamber of Commerce & Industry of The Tung Kun District Cheong Wong Wai Primary School, Hong Kong Federation of Education Workers Wong Cho Bau Secondary School each had one class to be suspended.

At the same time, Ying Wa College saw five infections each in classes 3A and 2E, as well as three each in classes 4C and 2D. The four classes were also subject to a one-week suspension.

Chuang said the school reported 16 students being infected on Tuesday, while the tally of the past two days reached 23. The remaining seven students were involved in six classes.

Seven more residential care homes reported new infections, involving seven patients from three elderly care homes and four residential care homes for people with disabilities.

The center, on the other hand, identified eight cases carrying the BA.4 or BA.5, of which two were of unknown origin. One of them was a diner at Hotpot Foodie in Kwun Tong.

Ten cases of the BA.2.12.1 Omicron subvariant were reported today as well, all were related to previous cases.

Hospital Authority's chief manager Gladys Kwan Wai-man reported no new death and the death tally stands at 9,192.

Public hospitals and treatment facilities are now housing 828 patients. Thirteen of them are in critical condition, 19 are in serious condition, and one is in hospital intensive care units.