A 10-year-old boy currently hospitalized in Princess Margaret Hospital was diagnosed with Covid last week and showed symptoms of croup. He is now in critical condition.

Among the 11 fatalities of 10 men and one woman aged 61 to 93, only three were triple-vaccinated, said Chuang Shuk-kwan, Head of the Communicable Disease Branch of the Center for Health Protection of the Department of Health.

Eleven care homes for the disabled reported 11 infected cases, with 54 people in care homes listed as close contact and having to take the nucleic acid test.

Two primary schools, one kindergarten and one secondary school reported one case, respectively.

“There are signs that the epidemic seems to be alleviated,” said Chuang, noting that people infected with the BA.5 virus variant account for nearly 66.5 percent of all patients.

She claimed that more observation is required to confirm whether the epidemic reached its peak and whether the case will bounce back after the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday.

Public hospitals now accommodate 2,753 Covid-19 patients, including 207 newly admitted, 56 in critical conditions, and 56 with severe symptoms, according to Sara Ho Yeun-ha, Chief Manager (Patient Safety and Risk Management) of the Hospital Authority.