Hong Kong, Feb 7 (BNA): Hong Kong is expected to record a record 610 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday, broadcaster TVB reported, in the biggest test yet of the city’s coronavirus-free strategy. while trying to contain the disease. increasing prevalence.
And TVB channel, quoting an unnamed source, said that about 300 others had tested positive for the virus in initial tests.
The global financial hub, which is following mainland China’s strategy to suppress all coronavirus outbreaks as quickly as possible, has seen the number of cases rise since January with more than 2,000 infections compared to just two in December.
The city recorded 342 cases on Sunday, slightly lower than the previous day’s figure of 351. Dozens of bank branches, including HSBC and Bank of China outlets, said they would suspend operations from Monday to help limit transmissions.
Health Minister Sophia Chan said at the weekend that she expected cases to rise “significantly”.
The former British colony has become one of the world’s most isolated cities, with flights down nearly 90% due to strict coronavirus regulations and closing schools, stadiums and gyms as well as most other places. Restaurants close at 6 p.m. (1000 GMT), while most people, including the majority of civil servants, work from home.
The economic and psychological toll from the hard-line approach is growing rapidly, with measures becoming more draconian than those first implemented in 2020.
Government quarantine facilities are also nearing their peak as authorities struggle to keep up with their strict scheme to trace contacts.
Authorities hold daily briefings providing details of each infected person including where they went and ate. But with the increasing number of cases, methods, including searching for credit card data and transfer records to locate close contacts, have become much more difficult. They said there are probably hundreds of transmission chains in the community.
In total, Hong Kong has recorded 213 coronavirus deaths and nearly 15,000 cases since early 2020, far fewer than other similar major cities.
Health experts said the city’s current strategy of shutting itself down as the rest of the world shifts to coexistence with the coronavirus is not sustainable.
Government figures show that about 80% of the city’s 7.5 million residents have had at least one stroke of COVID-19, but the majority of seniors remain unvaccinated.
Of those, about 40% have received the Chinese-made Sinovac vaccine, which is believed to be much less effective against the disease than the one made by Germany’s BioNTech, the other one available in the city.
Infection cases have been recorded in various government departments from hospitals and residences to the independent Anti-Corruption Commission.
The government said on Friday that two pet cats had tested positive for the coronavirus, and urged pet owners to avoid kissing animals. In January, authorities ordered the culling of more than 2,000 hamsters in dozens of pet stores, after tracing an outbreak to a worker at a store where 11 hamsters tested positive.
The government has also tried to allay concerns about food shortages from the mainland after some truck drivers across the border tested positive. On Sunday, the organization said many drivers had been forced into isolation but that the overall fresh food supply “remained stable”.
There have been periods of time importing foreign foods and increasing cost due to tight air restrictions.
MI