People wearing face masks to protect themselves from possibly contracting the coronavirus walk past a painting in Hong Kong, April 25, 2020. (KIN CHEUNG/AP)

HONG KONG - Hong Kong recorded two new COVID-19 cases on Saturday, taking the tally to 1,037, as the city's chief executive said the government would remain alert despite a slower rate of infection.

Both patients had a travel history. One of them is an 18-year-old female student who showed no symptoms. The other patient is a 61-year-old man, who tested positive for the virus upon completion of a 14-day quarantine at a government facility. 

READ MORE: HK sees no new COVID-19 cases for 2nd time in 5 days

We dare not let down our guard as we look at the second or third wave of outbreaks around the world

Carrie Lam, HKSAR Chief Executive 

Twenty-eight more patients have been discharged from hospitals. A total of 753 patients have recovered. 

Eight recovered patients have tested positive for the virus again after leaving the hospital. It is likely caused by residual virus remaining in the patients’ bodies rather than new infection, according to Chuang Shuk-kwan, head of the Communicable Disease Branch of the Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health.

Meanwhile, a 17-year-old candidate of the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education examination was found to have a fever before entering the exam venue on Saturday. He was sent to the emergency department of a public hospital, Chuang said. 

He is in stable condition and is waiting for his test result, she added. 

In a summary of Hong Kong’s fight against COVID-19, titled “Three Months into Our Fight, Seeing the Arrival of Dawn”, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor wrote on a webpage online that though the city has seen a significant drop in daily confirmed cases, the government needs to remain alert given the volatility of the epidemic.

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Lam said the government fully understands the disappointment and frustration of businesses affected as the decision to extend social distancing measures to early May is undoubtedly a further blow to them. 

“But we dare not let down our guard as we look at the second or third wave of outbreaks around the world,” Lam stressed.

She pledged to continue to listen to opinions of experts and people from various sectors, and constantly adjust strategies according to the actual situation, while trying to strike a balance between addressing a public health crisis and the impact of containment measures on the economy, livelihood and the daily lives of people.