Hong Kong’s War Against Omigran: “In Full War Mode”

More than 6000 new infections a day – Hong Kong erupts under severe corona wave. Now two gigantic isolation facilities are under construction. China, meanwhile, sees its “zero Govt” strategy as threatened.

The number of corona infections has been on the rise in Hong Kong for several weeks, and hospitals are on the verge of their potential. The “Zero Govt” strategy mandated by the Chinese federal government in Beijing no longer works. The government of the Chinese Special Administrative Region is now relying on Beijing’s assistance to bring the tide of disease back under control.

Work began today after Hong Kong Prime Minister Gary Lam announced yesterday evening that state construction company China State Construction International would build two temporary isolated facilities with a total of 9,500 beds.

Isolation centers with 20,000 beds

In addition, three hotels with a total of 20,000 beds are to be converted into temporary isolation centers. Until now, patients sometimes had to endure days in the dead of winter in front of hospitals. Hospital board chairman Tony Coe apologized on a radio broadcast for forcing patients to wait outside.

In his blog, Hong Kong Secretary-General John Lee wrote on his blog that officials in the financial metropolis were “in full war” in the wake of the epidemic. “With the strong support of our motherland, we will definitely win the war.”

Hard locks have so far been excluded

Lam shared that Chinese President Xi Jinping had advised him to “make controlling the epidemic our priority”. The audience explained that Ji’s statement was a condemnation of the Hong Kong authorities. So far, Lam has rejected severe corona lockdowns, which are common even with minor infections in the mainland of China. The head of the Hong Kong government has now announced mandatory corona tests for 7.5 million citizens in Hong Kong for the month of March. Travel and business restrictions have also been imposed.

Today, authorities have registered a total of 6067 new corona cases and 14 deaths in 24 hours. On Monday, Lam said there were more hospitals in SAR. Lam said his government would create new isolation units and use hotel rooms, sports facilities and newly built residential complexes to house patients.

China fears illegal cross-border travelers

Meanwhile, China fears that travelers crossing the border illegally from Hong Kong may carry the corona virus. Neighboring cities with a population of more than one million offer high rewards for information that can be used to prevent people from crossing the maritime boundary of the People’s Republic of South China, especially by boat. Police have arrested 18 kidnappers in southern Guangdong province, according to China’s official Xinhua news agency.

The spread of the virus across the coast, which is difficult to monitor, poses an unpredictable threat to China’s tough zero-Govt strategy. According to media reports, some of the affected Hong Kongers have already crossed the border illegally and gone further inland. Major cities such as Zhuhai, Huizhou and Taishan offer rewards of up to half a million yuan (US $ 95,000) for trafficking information.