Hong Kong reports 17 new COVID-19 cases, 8 additional Omicron infections

HONG KONG, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- Hong Kong reported 17 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday, taking the total tally of confirmed cases to 12,667, data from the Center for Health Protection showed.

The newly reported cases consist of 16 imported cases and one possibly import-related case. The patients comprise four males and 13 females, aged 20 to 54.

A total of 136 coronavirus cases have been reported in the past 14 days.

Meanwhile, the whole genome sequencing analysis of eight cases announced earlier showed they all carried the Omicron variant of COVID-19, bringing the total number of Omicron infections to 95 in Hong Kong.

Since the launch of a mass inoculation program in February 2021, about 4.88 million people, or 72.4 percent of the eligible population, have taken at least one shot of a COVID-19 vaccine, while about 4.66 million, or 69.2 percent of the eligible population, have taken two doses.

Meanwhile, a total of 387,007 people in Hong Kong had taken a booster shot as of Friday.