Hong Kong transport operators, supermarkets cut services as COVID cases surge

MTR

03/03/2022 01:52

HONG KONG, March 3 (Reuters) - Hong Kong's subway operator,
bus companies and one of the city's biggest supermarket chains
said they were reducing services this week due to a worsening
COVID-19 outbreak that has seen daily infections explode since
early February.
    The latest strains came as Hong Kong authorities clung
firmly to their "dynamic zero" coronavirus strategy which, like
mainland China's seeks to curb all outbreaks at any cost.
    The global financial hub's Transport Department said 98 bus
routes would be suspended with operators facing critical
manpower shortages. 
    A rise of infected people coupled with a drop in customers
due to stringent social distancing measures made it hard to
maintain operations, it said in a statement late on Wednesday.
    The city's subway operator MTR Corp  0066.HK , known for its
efficiency, said on Thursday it would cut services on eight
lines because of staff shortages and a sharp drop in customers.
    "We have been striving to maintain train service despite the
worsening COVID-19 situation. However, the latest development of
the pandemic is affecting the manpower for daily operations," it
said on its website.
    ParknShop, one of the city's largest supermarket chains,
said it was shortening opening hours for more than 200 outlets
to protect its staff and customers. Some stores would close as
early as 3 p.m., it said.
    Since the pandemic began in 2020, the tally of infections in
the Chinese-ruled city stands at more than 290,000, with a death
toll of about 1,100.
    About 700 of those deaths have been in the past week, with
the majority unvaccinated people.
    Health experts from the University of Hong Kong estimated
about 1.7 million people were already infected by Monday, with
the coming week expected to bring a peak of about 183,000 daily
infections.
    There has been widespread confusion and chaos among many
residents this week due to the government's mixed messaging over
whether a city-wide lockdown would take place and the almost
daily tweaking of coronavirus rules.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N2V502N
    Hong Kong's international reputation had been "very damaged"
by the confusing messages, creating alarm, said prominent
businessman and government adviser Allan Zeman.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL4N2V51Z0

 (Reporting by Farah Master; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
 ((farah.master@thomsonreuters.com; +852 3462 7709;))