(To watch the full press briefing with sign language interpretation, click here.)

The Centre for Health Protection today announced it is investigating an additional 55 COVID-19 cases, of which 51 are locally transmitted.

Sixteen of the local cases are untraceable, the centre’s Communicable Disease Branch Head Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan said at a press briefing this afternoon.

Dr Chuang pointed out that more than 80 preliminary positive cases have also been detected.

She said: “I understand that quite a few cases are reported from the community testing centre in Yau Ma Tei.

“It is possible that with the compulsory testing, more local residents know about this test and come forward for testing. Hopefully, we can investigate them and stop the spread.

"But of course, the sheer number of cases - so many cases - is a concern because any one of them may cause a major outbreak in the community and a further spread.”

Additionally, Dr Chuang said one of the confirmed local cases is a resident of an elderly care home.

“The elderly person mainly stayed in the home, so we suspect that there may be some silent transmissions in the elderly home.

“Because we have one case, so it’s possible that there may be some other cases later on or that have gone undetected at the moment, so we have put all of them under quarantine in the AsiaWorld-Expo at the present moment.”

The service period of the mobile specimen collection stations at Kwun Chung Sports Centre for people subject to compulsory testing and other residents of Yau Ma Tei has been extended to January 20.

Mobile vehicles at the section of Canton Road between Jordan Road and Saigon Street will provide free COVID-19 nucleic acid testing services.

The Government will also set up mobile specimen collection stations at Wuhu Street Temporary Playground in Kowloon City and Lido Garden in Tsuen Wan tomorrow.

For information and health advice on COVID-19, visit the Government's dedicated webpage.