Hong Kong may review Covid-19 curbs as new cases fall

HONG KONG • Hong Kong reported 14,149 new confirmed Covid-19 cases yesterday, the lowest daily toll in more than three weeks. Chief Executive Carrie Lam said earlier that infections may have hit a peak and seem to be trending down.

The city recorded 246 new deaths related to Covid-19, 41 of them backlogged, health officials said at a press conference.

Ms Lam said at an earlier briefing that while the situation in Hong Kong is still severe, the daily case count appears to be on the way down. Yesterday marked the second straight day the city has reported fewer than 20,000 cases, after infections rose to more than 50,000 earlier this month.

Ms Lam said at a press briefing that the low number of fully vaccinated elderly people has contributed to the high mortality rate. The city is battling a fifth wave of the pandemic, its worst outbreak yet, and the strain of rising infections has put pressure on hospitals, mortuaries and crematoriums.

The Chief Executive said officials may present a review of Covid-19 control measures today.

Meanwhile, China yesterday imposed stay-at-home orders on millions more people in the country's north-east as it battles its biggest Covid-19 outbreak in two years.

China has largely kept Covid-19 at bay since it brought to heel its initial outbreak in 2020. But the Omicron strain has broken through its defences in recent months.

Jilin, the second-biggest city in Jilin province, will lock down about 4.5 million inhabitants for three days from tonight, the local authorities announced. Tens of millions of people are currently in lockdown in other Chinese regions.

BLOOMBERG, REUTERS