Hours earlier, Hong Kong's Hospital Authority announced that a 76-year-old female patient deteriorated and passed away in a hospital at 5:13 p.m. local time on Sunday, becoming the third death case of COVID-19 in Hong Kong.

The patient of the newly confirmed case, a 59-year-old female, traveled to India from Jan. 31 to Feb. 24 with a tour group, and was sent to quarantine center on Saturday as a close contact after some members of the tour group were diagnosed with novel coronavirus infection.

The patient, with long term illness, was asymptomatic, but her deep throat saliva specimen was tested positive for COVID-19 virus on Sunday.

At a daily press briefing on Sunday afternoon, the CHP has reported four additional confirmed COVID-19 cases, including a 76-year-old male who also joined the same tour group to India.

Apart from the two cases associated with the India tour group cluster, another two additional cases are also related to previously confirmed cases. The two patients, a 55-year-old man and a 47-year-old domestic helper, were asymptomatic as they were sent to quarantine centers as close contacts, but were tested positive for novel coronavirus.

The other additional case involves a 41-year-old male who have been to Japan and Britain during the incubation period. It is likely to be an imported case, but the CHP has not completely ruled out the possibility of local infection, Head of the CHP's Communicable Disease Branch Chuang Shuk-kwan said at the briefing.

Linda Yu, chief manager of Hong Kong's Hospital Authority, said at the briefing that three patients of confirmed COVID-19 cases were discharged from the hospital upon recovery on Sunday, bringing the number of cured cases to 58.

The COVID-19 epidemic situation around the world is changing rapidly at present, with outbreaks occurring in different regions overseas, Chuang pointed out, adding that the CHP expects Hong Kong will continue to see imported cases and needs to closely monitor the situation.

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government on Sunday expanded the health declaration arrangements at the Hong Kong International Airport to all inbound flights. Starting from 0:00 a.m. on Sunday, all inbound travelers arriving at the Hong Kong airport are required to complete and submit a health declaration form.

The CHP has repeatedly reminded members of the public that as the transmission of COVID-19 virus has been increasing around the world, they are advised to consider delaying all non-essential travel outside Hong Kong.

It has also urged members of the public to reduce social activities such as meal gatherings and maintain appropriate social distance to prevent clustered transmission.