Hong Kong’s leader has apologised for lengthy waits for residents to be tested for Covid-19 or enter isolation facilities after a record number of new cases left authorities scrambling.
The government, soon after imposing strict rules on socialising – limiting restaurants to two people per table and public gatherings to just two individuals – has been criticised for allowing hundreds of people to congregate in lobbies and public areas for testing.
Hong Kong’s daily Covid-19 infections nearly doubled to a record 1,161 cases on Wednesday as the global financial hub battles a rapid surge that could pose the biggest test yet of its “dynamic zero” policy.
Writing on her official Facebook page on Wednesday night, Hong Kong chief executive Carrie Lam said that the government was working hard to enhance capacity.
The government plans to place asymptomatic Covid-19 patients into hotels as public treatment facilities reach capacity, as having them stay at home is deemed riskier in densely populated areas, the local South China Morning Post reported.
Hong Kong has reported close to 4,000 infections over the past two weeks, up from just two in December, taking its tally to more than 17,000 since the outbreak began in 2020.
There have been 215 deaths, although figures are lower than other major cities in the world.
Social, Economic Toll
Authorities have responded with the toughest measures since the start of the pandemic, which are taking an increasing social and economic toll on the city’s 7.5 million residents.
Hong Kong has stuck to the strategy employed by mainland China to suppress all coronavirus outbreaks as soon as possible to eliminate the virus.
But Lam said she was “deeply sorry and anxious” about the delays.
“I firmly believe that all people treasure our frontline medical staff, look forward to resuming their normal daily lives, and want to help Hong Kong ride out the pandemic,” she wrote.
About 200,000 residents and visitors in Discovery Bay, an area that is home to many expatriates, were ordered to test for Covid-19 after the government said it detected coronavirus in sewage samples.
Large crowds thronged to testing centres across the city, with some residents complaining that they were more likely to get infected while queuing.
- Reuters, with additional editing by George Russell
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