Coronavirus: Hong Kong rules out lockdown but will set up joint task forces with Guangdong to combat rising fifth wave
- After meeting mainland Chinese officials in Shenzhen, Chief Secretary John Lee says central government has agreed in principle to all of Hong Kong’s requests for help
- Announcement comes after city reports record 1,514 infections, three new deaths and more than 1,500 suspected cases
To tackle the growing health crisis, the city will instead set up five joint task forces with neighbouring Guangdong province, according to the chief secretary. They would focus on boosting Hong Kong’s ability to carry out testing and pathological examinations, constructing quarantine facilities and maintaining a steady supply of medical goods, he revealed. Lee also said he would oversee the anti-pandemic work together with mainland counterparts.
“We are grateful for the central government’s support, in particular Guangdong party secretary Li Xi,” Lee said. He quoted Li as saying, through subordinates: “We are one family, helping Hong Kong is helping Guangdong.”
Lee added that Beijing had agreed in principle to all of his side’s requests.
While mainland health authorities acknowledged Hong Kong’s efforts to combat the virus over the past two years, they noted that the highly transmissible Omicron variant had outrun the city’s ability to contain infections, he said.
Lee weighed in on the growing debate over whether the government should lock down the city’s 7.8 million residents in order to carry out mass testing in a bid to identify and eliminate hidden transmission chains in the community.