People wearing face masks walk across the street in south China's Hong Kong, Jan 12, 2021. (LO PING FAI / XINHUA)

Hong Kong – Hong Kong’s daily COVID-19 cases continued to linger around 5,000, as 5,424 cases were registered on Saturday, according to the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health.

Of the new cases, 5,112 were locally acquired whereas 312 were imported, said the Centre for Health Protection

Of the new cases, 5,112 were locally acquired whereas 312 were imported, said the CHP.

Total 1,312 of the locally-transmitted cases were diagnosed by nucleic acid tests and rest 3,800 through rapid antigen tests (RATs), it said.

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The health authorities have identified 55, four, one and five cases of sub-lineages XBB, BA.2.75.2, BA.4.6 and BQ.1.1 respectively among the imported cases as of Saturday, the center added.

The city has recorded total 971,440 and 860,844 cases that have tested positive through nucleic acid tests and RATs respectively for the SARS-CoV-2 virus.