Hong Kong: hong kongHealth facilities have been overloaded by an “attack” of Covid-19 infections, its leader said, as an increase in omicron The cases threatened to bring down the city’s “zero-Covid” policy.
Officials have followed mainland China’s policy of stamping out the smallest outbreaks since the start of the pandemic, with mass quarantines, widespread tracking and prolonged social distancing measures.
But the highly contagious Omicron version breached Chinese territory’s defenses in late December, piling up more than 8,000 infections in a matter of weeks, with researchers warning that daily cases could exceed 25,000 by next month.
While infection rates remain low compared to major cities around the world, Hong Kong’s policy of sending even asymptomatic cases to hospitals and quarantine facilities has filled beds and extended waiting times.
“The onslaught of the fifth wave of the pandemic has dealt a massive blow to Hong Kong and overwhelmed the city’s ability to handle it,” the leader said. Carrie Lamo said in a statement issued on Sunday night.
He said the increase in cases has increased the “waiting time for isolation facilities to admit people who test positive”.
City hospitals, besieged by patients queuing for tests over the past week, on Sunday told people who have “stable or mild symptoms” to stay at home.
But Lam said the government would leave no stone unturned to implement a “zero COVID” strategy and that China would help the city increase testing and quarantine resources.
Hong Kong has struggled to persuade its elderly population to get vaccinated, with only about 50 percent of those over the age of 70 receiving a jab.
The government has repeatedly said that its “zero Covid” policy is to buy more time for them to get vaccinated.
Researchers warned on Friday that the city could have 28,000 infections daily by the end of March. By the end of 2021, Hong Kong had recorded just over 12,000 cases.
Last week marked the city’s first Covid-19 deaths in five months, with seven patients over 70 and a four-year-old boy succumbing to the virus.
Officials have followed mainland China’s policy of stamping out the smallest outbreaks since the start of the pandemic, with mass quarantines, widespread tracking and prolonged social distancing measures.
But the highly contagious Omicron version breached Chinese territory’s defenses in late December, piling up more than 8,000 infections in a matter of weeks, with researchers warning that daily cases could exceed 25,000 by next month.
While infection rates remain low compared to major cities around the world, Hong Kong’s policy of sending even asymptomatic cases to hospitals and quarantine facilities has filled beds and extended waiting times.
“The onslaught of the fifth wave of the pandemic has dealt a massive blow to Hong Kong and overwhelmed the city’s ability to handle it,” the leader said. Carrie Lamo said in a statement issued on Sunday night.
He said the increase in cases has increased the “waiting time for isolation facilities to admit people who test positive”.
City hospitals, besieged by patients queuing for tests over the past week, on Sunday told people who have “stable or mild symptoms” to stay at home.
But Lam said the government would leave no stone unturned to implement a “zero COVID” strategy and that China would help the city increase testing and quarantine resources.
Hong Kong has struggled to persuade its elderly population to get vaccinated, with only about 50 percent of those over the age of 70 receiving a jab.
The government has repeatedly said that its “zero Covid” policy is to buy more time for them to get vaccinated.
Researchers warned on Friday that the city could have 28,000 infections daily by the end of March. By the end of 2021, Hong Kong had recorded just over 12,000 cases.
Last week marked the city’s first Covid-19 deaths in five months, with seven patients over 70 and a four-year-old boy succumbing to the virus.
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