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Life During Hong Kong’s Worst Covid-19 Outbreak: Full Hospitals, Quiet Streets | WSJ

Mar 12, 2024
- I'm in a supermarket in Hong Kong and the shelves are empty. In some stores they have begun to limit the amount that can be purchased, basic products such as canned food or toilet paper. - Panic buying is just one of the ways Hong Kong people have reacted as the government has imposed draconian restrictions to control the fast-spreading Omicron variant. For about two years, the city largely ruled out COVID 19, but has been battling a record surge in cases that has overwhelmed

hospitals

. A low vaccination rate among older people has also raised their mortality rate to the highest in the world.
life during hong kong s worst covid 19 outbreak full hospitals quiet streets wsj
So how has daily

life

changed in Hong Kong and why are many rushing to leave Asia's global hub? Here in the city, daily

life

has become complicated, forcing many to re-evaluate Hong Kong as home. Vaccine passports are now required to move around the city and the unvaccinated cannot shop in supermarkets and shopping centres. Summer holidays for students began in early March instead of July because the government closed schools so they could be converted into testing and isolation centers. Gyms are also closed and people cannot go out to eat after 6:00 p.m., which has hurt many businesses. - This is the central business district of Hong Kong.
life during hong kong s worst covid 19 outbreak full hospitals quiet streets wsj

More Interesting Facts About,

life during hong kong s worst covid 19 outbreak full hospitals quiet streets wsj...

At lunchtime the restaurants used to be

full

of bankers and lawyers, but nowadays it is quite

quiet

and many restaurants and shops have had to close. - Government resources have also been withdrawn to combat the

outbreak

. Authorities have been rapidly building temporary

hospitals

and mass isolation sites. There is also a fleet of taxis dedicated to transporting the sick to the clinics. But some government proposals that have been critical to China's ability to quickly control COVID spikes have caused panic among residents. In late February, the local health authority said the government could not rule out the possibility of imposing a citywide lockdown to test the entire population.
life during hong kong s worst covid 19 outbreak full hospitals quiet streets wsj
Fearing the

worst

, residents are rushing to stock up on everything from toiletries to food, leaving many shelves empty. A few days later, the city's chief executive said there were no plans for a complete shutdown. Instead, he said the government's priority would be to reduce the number of deaths and serious illnesses. But the government's messaging has not been enough to convince many residents to stay. - This is the Central Station. It used to be one of the busiest subway stops in Hong Kong. A few months ago, it was bustling with activity. And this current void is just one sign of the many people this city is losing. - Nearly 69,000 more Hong Kong residents left the city and arrived this year, according to immigration data, with nearly 80% of them leaving in February, when the city's pandemic controls went into

full

swing.
life during hong kong s worst covid 19 outbreak full hospitals quiet streets wsj
Hong Kong officials have called for calm and assured residents that there will be sufficient supplies of food and essential items. But as pressure from business groups mounted, officials said in late March that the city would lift a ban on flights from some countries and reduce the quarantine for returning residents from 14 days to seven. The government also said it would relax some social distancing rules from April. But China is also facing its largest

outbreak

since the start of the pandemic and authorities have sprung into action, ordering millions of people to stay home and restricting travel. However, Chinese President Xi Jinping has promised to reduce the impacts of those measures on the economy and people's lives.
Health authorities have also said that patients with no or mild symptoms should go to isolation facilities, freeing up space in hospitals. It's a small step toward easing restrictions, but as long as Hong Kong remains aligned with China's policies, life in the city will not return to normal until case numbers are under control.

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