Health officials say Hong Kong's latest wave of Covid infections has "obviously peaked" and hospital services can now gradually return to normal.

Thursday saw another 5,990 infections – including 163 imported cases – added to the city's total official tally, while another 17 deaths were reported.

More than 2,200 patients were being treated in public hospitals, 20 of them in intensive care.

Dr Albert Au from the Centre for Health Protection said the current wave of infections has already peaked and he expects a further decline in the daily caseload.

"It's pretty obvious now that the peak is really over, and the Covid situation is trending down. In terms of sewage surveillance and also hospital admission numbers, they are stable and they're actually trending down also," he said.

"Also, the BA.5 [sub-variant] is taking up a pretty high proportion [of infections]. In light of overseas experience, when BA.5 is hitting 80 percent, it will be hitting a plateau and the caseload will be coming down on a gradual basis."

The Hospital Authority said it is gradually resuming non-emergency services as the daily Covid tally continues to drop.