Hong Kong's zero-COVID stategy under pressure as cases soar (updated)

Television Broadcasts

07/02/2022 03:27

(Adds details on banks' supensions in paragraph 4 and further
details on Hong Kong's strategy in paragraphs 11-17)
    By Joyce Zhou and Farah Master
    HONG KONG, Feb 7 (Reuters) - Hong Kong is expected to report
a record of around 610 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, broadcaster
TVB reported, in the biggest test yet for the city's zero-COVID
strategy as it grapples to contain a growing outbreak.
    Around 300 others were found positive in preliminary tests,
TVB said, citing an unnamed source.
    The global financial hub, which is following mainland
China's strategy of suppressing all coronavirus outbreaks as
soon as possible, has seen cases soar since January with over
2,000 infections compared with just two in December. 
    The city recorded 342 cases on Sunday, slightly below the
previous day's record of 351 cases. Dozens of bank branches
including outlets of HSBC  0005.HK  and Bank of China
 601988.SS  said they would suspend operations from Monday to
help curb transmissions.
    Health Secretary Sophia Chan said over the weekend that she
expects cases to rise "exponentially".  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N2UG059
    The former British colony has become one of the most
isolated cities in the world, with flights down around 90% due
to strict coronavirus regulations and schools, playgrounds, gyms
as well as most other venues shut. Restaurants close at 6 pm
(1000 GMT), while most people, including the majority of civil
servants, are working from home.
    The economic and psychological tolls from the hardline
approach are rapidly rising, with measures becoming more
draconian than those first implemented in 2020. 
    Government quarantine facilities are also nearing their
maximum as authorities struggle to keep up with their rigid
contact tracing scheme.
     Authorities hold daily briefings providing details on each
infected person including where they went and ate. As cases
surge however, methods including scouring credit card statements
and transport records to identify close contacts are far
tougher. There are likely hundreds of transmission chains in the
community, they said.
    In total, Hong Kong has recorded 213 COVID deaths and around
15,000 cases since early 2020, far less than other similar major
cities.
    
    REVERBERATIONS 
    Health experts said the city's current strategy of shutting
itself off as the rest of the world shifts to living with
coronavirus, is not sustainable.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL4N2U711N
    Around 80% of the city's 7.5 million residents have had at
least one COVID-19 jab but the majority of elderly remain
unvaccinated, government figures show.
    Out of these around 40% have received the Chinese-made
Sinovac  SVA.O  vaccine, believed to be far less effective
against the disease than the one produced by Germany's BioNTech
 22UAy.DE , the other vacine available in the city.
    Infections have been recorded across government departments
from hospitals and housing to the independent anti-corruption
body.
    Two pet cats tested positive for coronavirus, the government
said on Friday, as it urged pet owners to avoid kissing animals.
In January, authorities ordered a cull of more than 2,000
hamsters in dozens of pet shops, after tracing an outbreak to a
worker in a shop where 11 hamsters tested positive.
    The government has also tried to assuage worries over a
shortage of food from the mainland after some cross-border truck
drivers tested positive. Several drivers have been forced to
isolate but overall fresh food supply “remained stable”, it said
on Sunday.
    There have been shotages of imported foreign food and cost
increases due to tight air restrictions.
    

 (Reporting by Twinnie Siu, Joyce Zhou, Donny Kwok, Clare Jim
and Marius Zaharia; Writing by Farah Master; Editing by Michael
Perry and Stephen Coates)
 ((farah.master@thomsonreuters.com; +852 2843 6358;))