The city in the grip of the worst wave since the beginning of the pandemic
While a large part of Europe returns to breathe on the other side of the world, Hong Kong finds itself dealing with the most dangerous wave of the Covid epidemic. The new daily cases reached 7500 two days ago and remain above six thousand. There are 39 deaths, for a total of 145 since the start of the last wave: most are elderly patients who suffered from chronic diseases or who had not been vaccinated. The infection also spreads among hospital staff, with 873 confirmed cases. And the city’s hospitals are struggling with a shortage of nurses.
The leader of Hong Kong, Carrie Lam, has announced the mandatory swab for all 7.4 million residents, to counter the latest wave of infections from Covid-19, the fifth, marked by the Omicron variant of the virus it is putting under strong pressure on the local health system. In addition, the Hong Kong leader announced, schools will close from the beginning of March until next April 18 and the social distancing measures and the ban on flights from eight countries (Australia, Great Britain, Canada, France, India, Pakistan, Philippines and United States) will be extended until next April 20.
“The fifth wave was so fast and impetuous that it was far beyond our ability to resist,” Lam said, confirming the Chinese central government’s support for the measures introduced by his administration. In detail, Lam explained that three rounds of swabs will be conducted and that up to one million tests will be conducted per day. The operation also includes hundreds of swab stations across the city where residents will be tested based on their date of birth, local media reported. Reservations will be required and there will be facilities suitable for people bringing seniors or children. Residents will also be asked to undergo the swab on their own on a daily basis, with a kit that will be provided to all. Quarantining those who test positive for Covid-19 remains the “priority” for Hong Kong, Lam said, even though there are an estimated 30,000 patients waiting to be sent to isolation facilities.
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