News

Hong Kong’s Omicron Surge Shows The Limits Of Its Zero Covid Approach

January 28, 2022

0 1 2 minutes read

Topline

Hong Kong, one of many world’s final holdouts of a strict ‘zero-Covid’ method, is going through its worst surge in infections in practically a 12 months—pushed by the omicron variant—highlighting the boundaries of the Covid elimination technique that has had little success in different elements of the world and that has pushed some nations to embrace “residing with the virus.”

Ambulance medics sporting protecting clothes to guard towards Covid-19 enter the Kwai Chung … [+] housing property the place a current cluster of coronavirus circumstances was found in Hong Kong.

AFP through Getty Photos

Key Details

Regardless of managing to maintain infections beneath management for many of 2021, Hong Kong has reported over 600 native Covid-19 circumstances in January up to now, according to Reuters.

A rising outbreak, centered round a public housing property, has prompted the federal government to lock down greater than 8,000 folks of their homes or in a authorities quarantine facility.

Authorities have additionally shut down colleges, playgrounds, gyms and most different public venues throughout the town, whereas bars and eating places are compelled to shut at 6 p.m. native time.

Hong Kong chief Carrie Lam has pushed again towards criticism of the town’s ‘zero-Covid’ method, noting that a big proportion of the town’s aged inhabitants nonetheless stays unvaccinated and susceptible to the virus.

According to official knowledge solely round 20% of individuals aged 80 or above have obtained two vaccine doses and about 48.5% of these aged between 70-79 are totally inoculated.

Lam, who agreed to shorten the town’s quarantine interval for incoming vacationers from 21 days to 14 days lately, insists that elevating the vaccination charge of Hong Kong’s aged shall be key to additional loosening restrictions.

Massive Quantity

71%. That’s the share of Hong Kong’s eligible inhabitants (folks aged 12 or older) who’ve been totally vaccinated towards Covid-19. This quantity is considerably decrease than mainland China, which has fully vaccinated greater than 86% of its whole inhabitants.

Shocking Truth

In an indication of its zero-tolerance to the virus, Hong Kong ordered the culling of over 2,000 hamsters and different small animals earlier this month after a few of them examined constructive for Covid-19 at a pet retailer within the metropolis. The choice sparked anger amongst pet homeowners as there was little or no proof that the small rodents may transmit the virus to people.

Key Background

Authorities in Hong Kong have tried to align their Covid combating coverage with mainland China and so they have performed so by adopting Beijing’s zero-Covid mannequin. Nonetheless, this has confronted opposition from the town’s residents in addition to world companies working in Hong Kong. Just lately, a report revealed by the town’s European Chamber of Commerce warned that the stringent measures will harm Hong Kong’s status as a world monetary hub and result in an exodus of personnel and companies from the town. Hong Kong’s zero-Covid efforts have additionally been hampered by its incapability to undertake mass testing of its whole inhabitants throughout an outbreak, a key mitigation measure utilized by China. This week authorities in Beijing mass examined the two.2 million residents of Beijing’s Fengtai district thrice. Hong Kong officers, nevertheless, have indicated that such an method will not be possible for the town, blunting the town’s means to curb the unfold of infections. China and Hong Kong stay the final holdouts of the zero Covid method as others like New Zealand have deserted it following the emergence of extra infectious variants like delta and omicron.