Coronavirus: debate erupts over how Hong Kong can achieve target of ‘zero infection’ as fourth wave rages with 81 new cases confirmed

Leader’s policy address pledge sparks questions over how the city can break transmission chain without going into full lockdown

Another 59 infections emerge from cluster tied to dance venues, taking total to 311

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Hong Kong residents deemed at high risk of Covid-19 infection are being urged to undergo testing, such as at this community testing centre in Yau Ma Tei. Photo: Dickson Lee

Published: 12:31pm, 26 Nov 2020Updated: 11:35am, 27 Nov 2020

Hong Kong confirmed 81 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, continuing its ongoing surge a day after the city’s leader set a “zero infection” target in her annual policy address which sparked a fierce debate on whether this could be achieved through mandatory testing and lockdowns.

Fifty-nine of the new Covid-19 cases were from an expanding “super-spreader” outbreak among dance venues which has become the city’s largest to date, with a total of 311 infections so far.

Thirteen cases were locally transmitted and untraceable, and six were imported, while more than 60 people tested preliminary positive.

In her policy speech on Wednesday, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor spoke of the possibility of launching another citywide testing scheme in a bid to achieve the target of “zero infection” if she could get public support and cooperation.

Bars again shut down on Thursday, this time for a week, as part of a strategy to limit the spread of the fourth Covid-19 wave. Photo: Dickson Lee

But she later appeared to backtrack, suggesting at a post-address press conference that she had mentioned the ambitious target as more of an attempt to reassure the public.

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