Hong Kong is in the throes of its worst-ever coronavirus outbreak, as residents are suddenly confronted with a severely overstretched healthcare system and a tightening of restrictions even as much of the world opens up.
The city’s strict but successful “zero-Covid” policy had largely kept the virus out for months.
But when the highly transmissible Omicron variant broke through Hong Kong’s defences, authorities were caught flat-footed with a dangerously under-vaccinated population and few plans in place to deal with a mass outbreak.
The extremely contagious Omicron variant was first discovered within Hong Kong’s local community in late December — far later than much of the rest of the world.
Authorities reacted quickly — banning flights, forbidding gatherings of more than two, and launching a mass hamster cull after coronavirus-positive pet store rodents were discovered.
But these measures did little to curb Omicron’s spread.
As of Friday, Hong Kong had recorded more than 20,200 infections in less than two months — outstripping its cumulative two-year total of about 12,000.
City leader Carrie Lam admitted this week the fifth wave had “dealt a heavy blow”, and by Friday announced a postponement to the planned March selection of Hong Kong’s next chief executive.
Britain plans to set out plans next week to remove self-isolation requirements for people infected with Covid, a move that health experts think could be risky. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in a statement that “Covid will not suddenly disappear, and we need to learn to live with this virus and continue to protect ourselves without restricting our freedoms.”
In England, currently, people are advised to isolate if they have Covid-19 symptoms or test positive. They are legally required to self-isolate for at least five days if instructed to by public health officials
