The presidente chino, Xi JinpingI call Hong Kong to drink “all necessary measures” to control a covid-19 outbreakmedia outlets close to Beijing reported on Wednesday, a day following the head of government of the city discarded a general lockdown.
© Excelsior
China orders Hong Kong to eradicate covid outbreak “above all”
the diaries Ta Kung Pao and Wen Wei Polinked to the Beijing office in Hong Kongreported that Xi ordered local authorities “to take any as necessary to ensure the protection” of the public health.
Hong Kong must prioritize the stabilization and control of the covid situation above all else,” according to the two newspapers.
The city is currently facing its worst outbreak of the coronavirus, with more than 1,000 cases a day as hospitals teeter to overwhelm.
The head of the local government, Carrie Lam, this week ruled out a “general” confinement as China has imposed in several cities to eradicate infections.
Following Xi’s comments, Lam expressed “gratitude” for his concern.
The government, in accordance with President Xi Jinping’s important instruction, will bear the primary responsibility to… take all necessary measures to safeguard the lives and health of the people of Hong Kong,” Lam said in a statement.
tested strategy
China is one of the few places in the world that maintains a “zero covid” policywith strict confinement measures in entire cities, contact tracing and tests.
But it is unclear whether Hong Kong, one of the world’s most densely populated cities, will be able to return to a zero-Covid situation even with a full lockdown, given the number of infections it faces from the Omicron variant.
The Ómicron emergency prompted local authorities to tighten healthy distance measures and close schools, while restaurants and bars are prohibited from opening at night. They even euthanized hamsters following some rodents tested positive for the virus.
© Provided by Excelsior
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