Hong Kong reports 6 new COVID-19 cases

HONG KONG, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Hong Kong's Center for Health Protection (CHP) on Wednesday reported six additional confirmed cases of COVID-19, taking the tally in the financial hub to 11,796.

Of the new cases, three were local infections, including two domestic helpers who contracted the highly transmissible N501Y mutant strain, the CHP said in a statement. The rest were imported cases.

To prevent the N501Y spread, the CHP will place all asymptomatic residents of buildings where the two patients live under 21-days of isolation in quarantine centers and send those showing symptoms to hospitals.

Hong Kong's vaccination program is ongoing. Some 1.56 million vaccine doses have been administered, with 573,000 people fully vaccinated.