Hong Kong urges calm ahead of mass testing
HONG KONG: Hong Kong reported 31,008 new COVID-19 cases and 153 deaths on Sunday as the city’s chief secretary said residents should not worry about a looming mass testing scheme, with details to be announced and authorities ensuring a steady supply of food.
The global financial hub is clinging to a “dynamic zero” coronavirus strategy as a massive spike in infections pushed hospitals, isolation centres and funeral parlours beyond capacity. Health experts said around 15 per cent of the city’s 7.4 million residents are already infected.
The comments by Chief Secretary John Lee on his blog, came as supermarket shelves were stripped for a seventh consecutive day, with anxious residents stocking up on products let on shelves from tofu and soy sauce to frozen vegetables.
As infections and deaths hit record highs, Hong Kong has implemented its most draconian restrictions, with restrictions on public gatherings of more than two people, most venues closed and flights banned into the city from countries including the United States and Britain.
The government has repeatedly tried to reassure residents ater widespread chaos this week due to authorities’ mixed messaging over whether a city-wide lockdown would take place and the almost daily tweaking of COVID-19 rules.
While city leader Carrie Lam has said the Chinese-ruled hub will not have a full-blown lockdown during the mass testing, residents remain unnerved about what to expect.
The former British colony has had more than 470,000 COVID-19 infections.
Most of the roughly 1,800 deaths have been in the past two weeks, many of them unvaccinated elderly residents as infections have spread in hundreds of nursing homes.
The surge in infections has crippled manpower in the healthcare system, for public transport, mall operators as well as postal services, supermarkets and pharmacies.
Many restaurants and stores have been shutered with main districts eerily quiet and few residents out in typically busy neighbourhoods.
Hong Kong reported 31,008 new coronavirus infections on Sunday.
On Saturday Hong Kong reported 37,529 new infections and 150 deaths, as the city clings to a “ZERO-COVID” strategy despite spiralling cases that have spread through care homes and overwhelmed healthcare facilities.
Many supermarket shelves were bare again on Saturday even as the government said there was plenty of fresh food supplies from the mainland and the public should not over-purchase.