Health authorities said on Wednesday that they are looking into expanding the use of oral antivirals, as the territory's new coronavirus cases topped 4,500.

Officials reported 4,288 local Covid infections and 220 imported ones for the day.

They said 1,390 Covid patients are currently receiving care in hospitals, including 162 new admissions.

Ten more people with Covid, aged between 74 and 97, had passed away, and all were not fully vaccinated.

A chief manager of the Hospital Authority (HA), Gladys Kwan, said she's worried that the daily mortality number had reached double-digits, and officials are now looking at prescribing oral antivirals to more patients.

"We are still at the moment discussing within our expert group to see whether we can expand [by] either lowering the age or [including] more high-risk patients," Kwan said, adding that authorities will make announcements when there are updates.

Under the current clinical guidelines, Covid drugs are reserved for certain patients only, including those aged 60 or above, people with severe immune deficiency, and unvaccinated high-risk individuals.

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USEFUL LINKS
General Covid-19 situation: https://www.coronavirus.gov.hk/eng/
Community Clinics for Covid-19 patients: https://bit.ly/3a4BZFE
RAT reporting platform: https://www.chp.gov.hk/ratp/
Vaccination programme: https://www.covidvaccine.gov.hk/sen/
Vaccination pass scheme: https://www.coronavirus.gov.hk/eng/vaccine-pass.html
Hotline for Covid-positive patients: 1836 115