The Centre for Health Protection today said it is investigating 3,172 additional locally acquired COVID-19 cases, of which 449 were identified through nucleic acid tests and 2,723 via rapid antigen tests. Separately, 111 imported cases were detected. Furthermore, seven residential care homes for the elderly and five for disabled people logged 13 cases involving their residents. The Hospital Authority reported that 20 patients passed away in public hospitals. According to a preliminary analysis, the cause of death for nine patients was related to COVID-19, while that of the remaining 11 patients was unrelated. It also registered eight more critical cases, bringing the number of patients in critical condition to 93. Separately, to align with the Government’s cancellation of issuing isolation orders from tomorrow, the authority will, starting from the same day, announce at 8.30am and 1pm the information of general out-patient clinics (GOPC) quota reserved for COVID-19
Overall consumer prices rose 1.4% in September year-on-year, smaller than the 1.6% growth in August, the Census & Statistics Department announced today.
Netting out the effects of the Government’s one-off relief measures, September’s underlying inflation rate went up 1% compared to a year earlier, also smaller than the 1.2% recorded in August.
Compared with September last year, price increases were seen in electricity, gas and water, clothing and footwear, transport, meals out and takeaway food, durable goods, basic food and miscellaneous services.
On the other hand, year-on-year decreases in miscellaneous goods, housing as well as alcoholic drinks and tobacco were recorded.
The Government noted that the underlying consumer price inflation rate eased to 1% in September as the effect of the upward adjustment in public housing rentals in the same month last year dissipated and the year-on-year increase in prices of meals out and takeaway food narrowed due to the base effect.
Meanwhile, pressures on many other consumer price index components remained modest.
Looking ahead, while overall inflationary pressures will likely increase in the near term alongside the continued economic recovery and rising import prices, the underlying inflation should remain largely moderate in the rest of the year as the local economy is still operating below capacity, it added.
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