On Sunday, Hong Kong reported 1,346 new daily COVID-19 infections, a decrease from the previous day's record, but the spread, with 2,000 additional suspected cases, poses a threat to the city's overburdened healthcare infrastructure, authorities warned.
Hong Kong is being overwhelmed by the virus's "onslaught," its leader declared Monday, despite the fact that fatalities in the Chinese-controlled global financial hub have remained significantly lower than in comparable-sized cities since the outbreak began two years ago.
The city is battling the pandemic's deadliest effect as it attempts to execute China's zero-tolerance policy, which includes obligatory quarantine for all travelers and widespread testing.
This week, Hong Kong implemented a new limitation, reducing in-person meetings to no more than two households. It intends to restrict access to shopping centers and supermarkets to those who have been vaccinated. Religious institutions, hair salons, and other businesses have been ordered shut.
Daily infections have increased 13-fold in the last two weeks, from roughly 100 cases at the start of February to more than 1,300 on Feb. 13, as authorities scramble to contain the spread.
As the caseload increased, Hong Kong's executive officer Carrie Lam said Monday that her administration will collaborate with Chinese officials to address the "aggravating situation."
The spike in coronavirus infections, the most severe test yet of the bustling city's "dynamic zero-COVID" plan, comes just one day after the government announced that China would assist the city with testing, treatment, and quarantine capacity.
On Monday, Hong Kong is anticipated to report at least 1,530 COVID-19 infections, TVB reported, citing an unidentified source. This would set a new daily case count record.
Chinese officials and state media urged Hong Kong not to relax any of the regulations, claiming that implementing a "living with the virus" strategy would overload the territory's medical systems.
Residents of Hong Kong have been racing to supermarkets to stock up on vegetables and other essentials. Authorities have ordered lockdowns on residential structures where virus clusters have been found, and have already prohibited public dining after 6 p.m.
With an already overburdened healthcare system, medical experts fear that the city might see 28,000 daily infections by the end of March, with the unvaccinated elderly being particularly vulnerable.
The number of hospital beds for COVID-19 patients are already at 90% occupancy, update from the city's health officials showed, while quarantine facilities are near full capacity.
Authorities also cautioned that food supplies entering the city may be delayed following the positive test of some cross-border truck drivers for coronavirus, but said they were doing all possible to restore normalcy "as soon as feasible."
