People ride a tram in Hong Kong on Nov 24, 2020, as a spike in COVID-19 cases has brought tighter restrictions. (PETER PARKS / AFP)

HONG KONG - Hong Kong reported 95 new confirmed COVID-19 cases on Sunday, including 36 of unknown origin, bringing the city’s total tally to 6,897.

In a media briefing on Sunday afternoon, Albert Au, Principal Medical Health Officer of the Communicable Disease Branch of the Centre for Health Protection, said the 95 confirmed cases included 87 local infections and 8 imported cases.

They involved 48 men and 47 women aged seven to 92 years old, Au said.

The new cases involved 48 men and 47 women aged seven to 92 years old

The city’s dance cluster had 18 new confirmed infections while the Lohas Park construction site cluster had 9 new cases, including four workers, and five close contacts, he added.

Au said one of the cases of unknown origin involved a rehabilitation worker who worked at Hall 5 of the Asia World Expo quarantine center. He tested positive on Dec 3.

ALSO READ: Hong Kong tech firms pitch in to fight COVID-19

Two other workers at Asia World Expo quarantine center tested preliminarily positive. One was an outsourced worker from the social welfare department. 

The worker recalled that there was damage to his protective suit while he interacted with a person in quarantine who later tested positive.   

The second preliminary positive case involved a worker who started developing symptoms on Dec 4 although he had been wearing proper PPE (Personal Protective Equipment), a surgical mask, protective gown and face shield while at work.   

Due to these three cases, the persons confined at Hall 5 and 7 of the Asia World Expo quarantine center would be evacuated to another hall, Au said.

ALSO READ: HK govt plans free COVID-19 vaccination for all residents

“We would also look whether any care workers have in the past two weeks seen damage in their PPEs. If so, we would treat them as close contact and send them to quarantine,” he added.

According to the Hospital Authority, there were 1,087 patients being treated in 22 Hong Kong hospitals as and at the Asia World Expo field hospital as of Sunday, including 31 patients in critical condition and 305 in serious condition.

READ MORE: HK-S'pore travel bubble deferred anew as HK sees 82 new cases

Meanwhile, a 54-year-old male police officer posted to the Kowloon City Magistrates’ Courts tested positive for the virus on Sunday.

The officer felt unwell on December 3 and sought medical treatment at a clinic. He had no travel history over the past 14 days, and he wore masks when he had to come into contact with members of the public. He last attended work on December 4.

In a statement, the Hong Kong Police Force said officers who might have had close contact with the infected officer would be quarantined and they would also undergo tests for the virus.

It said the Judiciary had been notified so that the premises where the officer worked would be cleaned and disinfected. The police would also liaise closely with the Department of Heath and proactively provide information, including the recent duty record and roster of the infected officer.