Tens of thousands of new Omicron cases are reported every day, and the death toll surges. Worrying about Hong Kong is not only a surge of infection but some residents are alarmed by the Hong Kong government’s efforts to control COVID-19, the worst in the city. They emptied the supermarket shelves of vegetables and meat. They searched the drugstore for painkillers and antipyretics. Those who can afford it have jumped on flights leaving the city.
At present, the virus death rate in the city is the highest in the world, with 3 per 100000 residents, mainly because many elderly Hong Kong people are not vaccinated.
Hong Kong is one of the last places in the world that is still trying to eradicate coronavirus rather than coexist with it. Despite the shortage of facilities and staff, it has redoubled its strategy of isolating every case found, regardless of its severity and symptoms, and imposed isolation orders on those considered close contacts. Rising infections and government measures have overwhelmed hospitals, morgues, ambulance services, and quarantine facilities, and forced understaffed post offices, banks, and even prisons to cut services.
The epidemic and government policies are particularly detrimental to the working class in the city. As thousands of businesses went bankrupt, many service workers lost their jobs. Families living in small apartments are forced to choose between staying at home, infecting relatives, or sleeping elsewhere.
Hong Kong still needs some time to get out of the trouble of the surge of new crown cases. Citizens must pay attention to wearing masks and home isolation