Hong Kong reached a worrying milestone of over one million COVID-19 cases since the onset of the pandemic for a city lashed by the lethal Omicron wave.
In the city of 7.5 million people, Hong Kong health officials reported 20,082 new cases and 206 deaths for the day. These numbers bring the city’s total infections to 1,002,000 cases and deaths over 5,000, according to The New York Times.
While counties like South Korea, Vietnam, China, and Thailand are experiencing the same Omicron-driven cases, data shows that Hong Kong’s recorded death rate is far too high, overtaking China reporting only 4,600 deaths in their 1.4 billion population.
The Hong Kong healthcare system is overwhelmed with a wave of Omicron cases in a matter of weeks, leading to piles of dead bodies in hospitals.
Hesitation over vaccine efficacy and potential side effects are attributed to misinformation and a high public distrust of the government. And yet, even as Hong Kong recorded an increase in deaths, many residents are still reluctant to get vaccinated.
Hong Kong fought off a severe coronavirus outbreak with strict social distancing measures and tight border controls at the pandemic’s start. Then Omicron set off an eruption of infections, revealing the city’s failure to prepare its older and high-risk residents.
Estimates indicate that about 3.6 million people were infected, and before the current outbreak ends, up to 4.5 million people may get the virus, according to the Hong Kong University. However, experts believe this is an undercount.
The outbreak involves the Omicron BA.2 subvariant, which is more transmissible than the BA.1 version but is not infectious. Studies of the BA.2 variant are ongoing, but it is likely to cause hospitalizations.
Other factors that come into play in the city’s transmission surge are the dense population and the low vaccination rate among residents 70 and older, which left many without enhanced immunity.
The government of Hong Kong is caught in the middle of the rising cases and deaths, demand for lockdowns from Beijing and mass testing, and pandemic fatigue among residents.
Carrie Lam, Hong Kong chief executive, stated that as early as next week, she will review the measures planned for April 20, 2022. She might reconsider compulsory testing, quarantines for travelers, flight bans, and compulsory quarantines for travelers, according to BBC.
In recent days, health officials repeatedly urged older residents to get vaccinated, and they are ramping injections at care homes. In addition, the government will require proof of vaccination to enter supermarkets, malls, and restaurants.
The Hong Kong government still has to disseminate official procedures to nursing homes on how to regulate the outbreak. Despite two years of preparation for this outbreak, the rapid spread has caught many by surprise.
Written by Janet Grace Ortigas
Edited by Cathy Milne-Ware
Sources:
The New York Times: Hong Kong surpasses 1 million coronavirus cases, health officials say, amid a huge surge in deaths; John Yoon
The New York Times: ‘I Don’t Dare Get the Shot’: Virus Ravages Unvaccinated Older Hong Kongers; by Alexandra Stevenson and Austin Ramzy
BBC News: Covid: Hong Kong’s hospitals overwhelmed amid spike in cases
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Inset Image Courtesy of Rémi Lanvin’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
