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

The Centre for Health Protection today said it is looking into 543 additional COVID-19 cases, of which 211 were detected by nucleic acid tests and 332 were identified via rapid antigen tests (RATs).

Among the new cases, 86 are imported while the rest are locally infected.

A total of 1,203,065 people have contracted the virus since the onset of the fifth wave of the epidemic, involving 9,173 deaths.

There were also 204 virus cases reported from schools as a result of the daily RAT requirement for students and staff.

At a press briefing this afternoon, the centre's Communicable Disease Branch Head Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan noted that the total number of cases showed a slight upward trend in the previous week.

“This may be related to the relaxation of social distancing measures and the increasing mobility of people in the community, because there is indeed some transmission of COVID-19 in the community.

“Regarding the situation of schools, we have received 204 positive cases among the city's schools today. They are coming from more than 140 schools. Each school may have one or two cases mostly and a few of them have more than two or three cases.

“This reflects the epidemic situation in the community. This may not reflect that there is an outbreak in those schools.”

Meanwhile, due to a number of positive cases, 41 specified places are included in a compulsory testing notice.

The mobile specimen collection station at Hing Wah (II) Estate in Chai Wan will extend its services to June 8.

As there were positive sewage test results with relatively high viral loads in several areas of Tuen Mun, Tai Po and Islands districts, the respective district offices will distribute COVID-19 rapid test kits to relevant residents as well as cleaning workers and property management staff working there.

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