Coronavirus: Hong Kong should learn from Shenzhen’s lockdown by using clear and swift dissemination of information, observers urge

City leader Carrie Lam rebuts direct comparison between Hong Kong and Shenzhen, cites differences in systems, resources and manpower mobilisation

Shenzhen residents in week-long lockdown have to stay at home except to undergo testing three times a week, with shops closed and streets mostly empty

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Empty streets in the Futian district of Shenzhen Empty street on Monday, the first day of a week-long lockdown. Photo: Handout

Published: 9:59pm, 14 Mar 2022Updated: 11:03pm, 14 Mar 2022

Hong Kong should learn from neighbouring Shenzhen’s lockdown of its 17 million residents for Covid-19 testing, which authorities carried out using clear dissemination of information, district-level management and an army of volunteers, observers have argued.

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor rebutted a direct comparison between the two cities hours after the lockdown in the mainland Chinese city was in full force, noting the differences in systems, resources and ability to mobilise manpower.

“In densely populated Hong Kong, queues during mass testing might spark concern about risks of cross-infection,” she said on Monday.

“For us to learn from Shenzhen and conduct three universal tests in a few days, I’m afraid we are not yet able to do so.”

Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam. Photo: May Tse

Hong Kong has been gripped by the Omicron-fuelled outbreak since late December, but officials stopped short of making clear whether citywide testing, accompanied by a stay-at-home order, would go ahead for its 7.5 million residents. The city logged 26,908 new infections and 286 fatalities on Monday.

Neighbouring Shenzhen announced on Sunday night a week-long citywide lockdown for its residents after reporting 66 new infections. Virus cases across the mainland soared to nearly 3,400.