Hong Kong: the health system “overwhelmed” by the wave of Omicron

Hong Kong hospitals reached their maximum occupancy rate of 90% on Monday, authorities announced after acknowledging that the wave of contaminations with the Omicron variant of Covid-19 has dealt a “hard blow” to the health system of the city. city, which clings to its “zero-Covid” strategy.

Although the infection rate remains low compared to other major cities around the world, Hong Kong’s policy of sending cases, even asymptomatic ones, to hospitals and quarantine places has led to overcrowding of beds and an increase waiting times.

Authorities also announced on Monday the deaths of two elderly people from Covid-19. The city saw its first coronavirus-related deaths in five months last week, with seven patients over the age of 70 and a four-year-old boy succumbing to the virus.

The onslaught of the highly contagious Omicron variant, which caused the number of contaminations to explode, “dealt a severe blow to Hong Kong and exceeded the capacity to manage the city”, acknowledged Sunday evening the head of government Carrie Lam.

Since the start of the pandemic, Hong Kong has adhered to mainland China’s “zero Covid” policy of eradicating any outflow of infection through widespread testing, mass quarantines and extended social distancing measures.

Since the end of December, more than 8,000 contaminations have been recorded and specialists fear that the number of daily cases will exceed 25,000 by next month.

On Sunday, city hospitals asked people with “stable or mild” symptoms to stay home.

“The dramatic increase in the number of confirmed cases in recent days has lengthened the time it takes for people who test positive to be admitted to isolation centres,” Ms. Lam admitted, adding that the government “will spare no effort to put in place implement” the current “zero Covid” strategy.

Hong Kong has struggled to persuade its elderly population to get vaccinated, as only 50% of people over the age of 70 have received a dose of the vaccine.

The government has repeatedly said that its “zero Covid” policy is intended to give people more time to get vaccinated.

Researchers warned Friday that by the end of March, the very densely populated city could record 28,000 daily contaminations.

Face-to-face teaching in kindergartens, primary and secondary schools — closed since January — will remain suspended until early March, the Education Bureau said.

Hong Kong had recorded just over 12,000 cases and 213 Covid-related deaths by the end of 2021.

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