HONG KONG (BLOOMBERG) - Hong Kong is considering prioritising reducing Covid-19 deaths over a compulsory citywide test as the authorities struggle to contain its worst virus wave in the pandemic, local newspaper Ming Pao reported, citing a government source it did not identify.
The shift comes after Dr Liang Wannian, leader of China's National Health Commission's Covid-19 response team, who is visiting Hong Kong to advise the city, suggested that the financial hub focus on lowering deaths, reducing severe cases and stamping out infections, the paper reported.
Hong Kong has been mired in confusion about mass testing plans since Chief Executive Carrie Lam announced last month that every resident would be tested three times in March. No further details have been released, leaving the city looking to often duelling media reports about the length and severity of lockdowns that are expected to occur while the testing is conducted.
The uncertainty has seen supermarket shelves stripped bare in a wave of panic buying, and sparked a growing exodus from the financial hub.
Separately, Sing Tao reported that the Civil Service Bureau will meet with unions on Friday (March 11) to discuss the participation of government workers in the mass testing drive.
A representative for the Hong Kong government did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Hong Kong's death rate is now the highest in the world, with surging cases throwing into question the city's ability to stick with a strict "zero-Covid-19" policy, which relies on closed borders and lengthy quarantine and isolation periods. The authorities expect to see another jump in case numbers this week after launching an online self-reporting platform.
Last week saw a raft of conflicting media reports that sowed anxiety among Hong Kong's 7.4 million people. HK01 reported that there would be a four-day limited lockdown at the end of March, and Cable TV said the city will set a time limit for residents to buy groceries. Stories from Sing Tao and the South China Morning Post reported details of a strict nine-day lockdown planned for the middle of March.
