The healthcare system in Hong Kong has been overwhelmed by a massive rise of Covid-19 infections, with infected patients being treated outside overcrowded hospitals.
The administration has conceded that it is difficult to keep the fifth wave of illnesses, which is being fuelled by Omicron, under control. It has, however, ruled out a city-wide shutdown.
On Wednesday, a total of 4,285 new cases were recorded, setting a new high.
In a rare intervention, Chinese President Xi Jinping ordered local officials to take “all necessary measures”
The statements might indicate stricter regulations in China’s special administrative area, which has a zero Covid policy but without the stringent mass testing and lockdowns observed on the mainland.
More than 10,000 individuals are waiting to be admitted to hospitals, with experts warning that the number of cases might rise to 28,000 every day. According to officials, nine individuals have died as a result of the illness in the last 24 hours, including a three-year-old child.
Since the start of the epidemic, the metropolis of 7.5 million people has verified around 26,000 illnesses and little over 200 fatalities, figures much below those of other cities of comparable size.
Residents, however, are becoming weary of the restrictive measures, which have included the closure of most public places such as bars, gyms, and churches, as well as stringent travel restrictions.
The government has also struggled to induce citizens to be vaccinated, with particularly poor uptake among the elderly.
According to pro-Beijing publications Wen Wei Po and Ta Kung Pao, President Xi stated that the Hong Kong government “must mobilise all power and resources to take all necessary measures” to suppress the epidemic.
In response to the message, Hong Kong leader Carry Lam stated that local authorities will “mobilise all available manpower and resources and adopt all necessary measures” to bring the situation under control.
She stated that the initiative will center on increasing testing capacity, constructing treatment and isolation facilities, and getting medical and other supplies from mainland China.