Do not let financial systems be used as a "weapon to impose sanctions," said the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Chief Executive Carrie Lam on Tuesday in her weekly news conference, adding that the local government will complain to the World Trade Organization (WTO) about the U.S.' sanctions on Hong Kong. 

As for the U.S. sanctions on herself, Lam said that she hasn't been to the United States since 2017, and will continue to do the right things for her country. "We have to use some financial services and we don't know whether that will relate back to an agency that has some American business, and the use of credit cards will be sort of hampered and so on," she said. "But those are really meaningless, as far as I am concerned."

"The most important is we feel honorable, that we are at this historic moment being trusted by the central government to enforce the national law to safeguard national security."

"Despite some inconvenience in my personal affairs, it is nothing I would take to heart," Lam added.

Responding to a question on safeguarding national security in Hong Kong, she added that rather than worrying about the law being used as a political tool, it was financial systems and social media that were being used by anti-establishment forces.

Lam also announced that she would give her annual policy address on October 14 and urged the public to remain vigilant against COVID-19 as "there was still no sign of a steadily decreasing trend in new infections."

She added that she would announce a third round of virus-control measures and authorities would sort out the details quickly. The risk of a community outbreak still exists, Lam said, citing continued daily increases and nearly 40 percent of cases with unknown sources.

Hong Kong has extended all existing COVID-19 related social distancing measures for a week until August 25, as it continues to battle a new wave of cases.

The city's Center for Health Protection reported 44 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, bringing the total tally to 4,524.