From Our Bureau
NEW DELHI: Hong Kong is sinking under its worst wave yet of the coronavirus. Overwhelmed hospitals have left patients waiting on sidewalks, reports The New York Times. China’s leader, Xi Jinping, has ordered the Hong Kong government to “take all necessary measures” to curb the outbreak.
For much of the past two years, Hong Kong boasted of having the coronavirus largely under control. But since the Omicron variant slipped into the city late last year, health officials have found the virus increasingly difficult to contain.
Carrie Lam, Hong Kong’s chief executive, acknowledged Tuesday that the epidemic had “outgrown our capacity.”
Context: The city’s flailing response has exposed a crucial weakness in its ability to handle the coronavirus. Unlike other places, Hong Kong cannot choose to live with the virus; Beijing continues to demand local elimination.
The numbers: Researchers have warned that by summer, the latest wave could kill nearly 1,000 people — more than four times the number that have died of Covid in Hong Kong over the past two years.
