Hong Kong sees no new local COVID-19 cases for 2 straight days

HONG KONG -- Hong Kong reported no new local infections of COVID-19 for the second straight day on Wednesday but control measures will be extended again due to a new risk posed by a mutant strain.

Hong Kong's Center for Health Protection said there were four new imported cases on Wednesday, taking the tally in the financial hub to 11,872.

Over the past two weeks, 33 new cases were reported in total, including three local infections.

Despite the easing epidemic situation, public health authorities have decided to renew the existing social distancing policies by another 14 days to June 23.

A number of local cases with the N501Y mutant strain have been recorded in Hong Kong recently, with the source of infection yet to be identified, which makes relaxation of control measures inappropriate at the moment, a spokesman for the Food and Health Bureau of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government said.

The spokesman called on the public to get the vaccine to fend off the threat posed by the COVID-19 variant.

Hong Kong's vaccine rollout is still in progress. More than 1.58 million people have taken at least one shot of the COVID-19 vaccine as of Tuesday, accounting for 24.1 percent of the eligible population, and about 1.13 million people have been fully vaccinated.

People aged 16 and above are currently eligible for vaccine doses in Hong Kong.