As I see itTesting times, but Hong Kong needs a Covid-19 strategy that is sustainable

Name: Hong Kong hospitals set up outdoor wards as city buckles under rising coronavirus infections
Uploaded: 2022-02-22T13:50:26.000Z
Duration: 1 min 4 s
Description: Hong Kong hospitals set up outdoor wards as city buckles under rising coronavirus infections

Citywide testing must overcome a number of logistical obstacles, and many fear achieving zero cases is already unattainable

Questions remain over what comes after the testing for Hong Kong, and whether the city’s government will be prepared for it

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Experts have pointed out that gathering in large numbers to attend universal testing could spread infections. Photo: AP

Josephine Ma

Published: 9:50pm, 22 Feb 2022Updated: 11:24pm, 22 Feb 2022

In a video message to Hong Kong’s people on Monday, the mainland’s top respiratory expert Zhong Nanshan emphasised that large number of deaths related to Covid-19 among the elderly could not be tolerated.

Zhong maintained that the “dynamic zero Covid” approach remained the best option. However, many people in the city, including experts, view that as an increasingly unattainable goal, given that the disease is already widespread.

The Hong Kong government is busy making plans with mainland officials regarding how to carry out universal testing. The stakes are high.

Many health experts have already pointed out the risks of spreading the disease even further when people join long queues for testing.

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Hong Kong hospitals set up outdoor wards as city buckles under rising coronavirus infections

People may also be infected after they have been tested if they are allowed to move around, but locking down the city, even for just a few days, would deal a huge blow to the international financial hub. It would also be difficult to implement, because of the city’s crowded living conditions and the lack of logistics support to ensure food and other supplies.