Hong Kong says 3 Thais arrived with new COVID-19 variant

Three Thais in Hong Kong were found infected with the latest coronavirus variant, XBB, according to health officials there amid signs the kingdom could be experiencing another large wave of infections.

Raising the prospect that XBB is already circulating in Thailand, the three Thais tested positive within two days of their arrival, according to Hong Kong data shared by the director of Thailand’s National Center for Genetic Engineering.

“The data said 29 people had tested positive for the XBB virus in the country, 24 of whom were detected on arrival and five after two days of stay in Hong Kong, most of them from Singaporeans,” Director Anan Jongkaewwattana wrote. “But what is interesting is that there are three people traveling from Thailand. It may be that XBB is already mixed in with the COVID-19 cases in Thailand. But it may still be randomly…