The COVID-19 struggle in Hong Kong heated up on Thursday (February 17), with officials reporting that new cases had increased by 60 times this month, and the city's leader saying city-wide testing is being explored in the global financial hub.
On Thursday, health officials recorded a new high of 6,116 confirmed cases, up from 4,285 the day before and 6,300 preliminary positive cases. Since January, about 16,600 people have tested positive. A total of 24 new deaths were reported.
Hospitals have been overburdened, and some patients, particularly the elderly, have been left lying on beds outside in frigid, often rainy weather, in distressing scenes that have forced an official apology.
Schools, gyms, theatres, and other public places are closed. Many office workers are able to work from home. Many citizens, however, are tired of the stringent limitations enforced to protect them from the pandemic, even as most other major cities throughout the world learn to living with the virus.
The increase in cases is the most severe test yet of the city's "dynamic zero-COVID" strategy, but Carrie Lam, the city's leader, stressed this week that the city "cannot surrender to the virus."
According to some media reports citing unidentified sources, the government intends to test up to a million individuals each day beginning in March, and those who fail to comply will be penalized HK$10,000 (US$1,282).
"City-wide virus testing is a plan we are considering now," Lam told reporters later, as she welcomed the arrival of several mainland Chinese health experts to assist with the outbreak.
By the end of the month, she said, 300,000 tests might be completed everyday, according to local media. Authorities reported quarantine facilities were at capacity and hospital beds were more than 90% filled.
Lam said late Wednesday that she had contacted with local hotel owners and planned to make up to 10,000 hotel rooms available for COVID-19 patients in an effort to free up beds for isolation.
To combat all outbreaks, Hong Kong has adopted the same strategy as mainland China. The scale and speed of the virus's extremely contagious Omicron variant, however, has authorities frantic. Hospitals are at or near capacity, and long lines have formed outside testing centers, with some individuals waiting for hours.
Authorities stated that they were unable to meet their testing and isolation mandates, resulting in a backlog that could not keep up with the daily infection statistics.
China has said that it will help Hong Kong in increasing its testing, treatment, and quarantine capability, as well as securing resources ranging from fast antigen kits and protective gear to fresh vegetables.
