Among the new cases, 3,807 were locally transmitted while the other 233 were imported cases, Chuang Shuk-kwan from the Centre for Health Protection said.

The Hospital Authority added seven more related deaths aged 66 to 88, pushing the death tally of the fifth wave to 9,334.

A 20-month-old baby girl tested positive at home last Friday. She was taken to the emergency department of United Christian Hospital after her condition deteriorated on Sunday.

She had shortness of breath at that time and was diagnosed with Croup. She was admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit with a fever and vomiting. Her condition became stable after one night and was transferred to a general pediatric isolation ward.

Hospital Authority chief manager for quality and standards Lau Ka-hin said Croup is a respiratory infection that causes swelling in the trachea and affects normal breathing with coughing and hoarseness.

He said that children with Covid infection may develop the condition and that parents should pay close attention to such situations. He reminded parents to take their children to the hospital immediately if they found the children have breathing difficulties, the middle of their ribcage sinking in, or heard a high-pitched or barking sound while breathing.

Chuang said the number of suspected BA.4 or BA.5 cases continued to increase, with preliminary data accounting for 12.7 percent of the total, exceeding BA.2.12.1.

The center was informed of 692 positive cases at schools, including 541 students and 151 teachers and staffers. Eleven schools have classes suspended for a week.

Eight elderly homes and three care centers for the disabled also reported new infections.

Public hospitals and treatment facilities are now housing 1,528 Covid patients. Among them, 24 are in critical condition, 22 are in serious condition, and seven are in hospital intensive care units. In the past 24 hours, 136 patients have recovered from Covid, and 121 of them have been discharged.