Hong Kong discusses easing health restrictions

The head of the Hong Kong government said on Thursday that he did not submit a plan to remove the city from the crisis caused by the omicron variant, but was considering easing some restrictions imposed by the coronavirus due to the loss of tolerance of the population.

In the face of a sharp rise in the case of Covid-19, ruler Carrie Lam declared at a press conference that the time has come to review the restrictions imposed in January.

“Not because the number of cases has decreased (...) I think people's tolerance is coming to an end.”

His government was criticized for the lack of clarity in dealing with the fifth wave of the virus in Hong Kong, which resulted in nearly 1 million cases and 4,600 deaths within three months.

This exponential increase has occurred despite the fact that financial centers have maintained border restrictions and applied harsh social distancing measures since the beginning of the pandemic.

After the appearance of the omicron variant in January, the city banned two or more congregations, ordered bars and restaurants to be closed at night, and mandated the use of masks for outdoor activities as well.

The last restriction began with the closure of the beach on Thursday.

“Some of our financial institutions are losing patience due to the isolation of Hong Kong.” Lam admitted.

However, when asked about the plan to exit from the crisis, he did not set a goal.

“The hardest part about fighting the virus is the inability to predict what will happen.” He said.

Hong Kong spent the first two years of a low-contagious pandemic while adhering to China's zero-covid strategy, but in recent weeks it has experienced a scene that reminds us of the beginning of the epidemic as hospitals become saturated and the deaths of the elderly increase.

In February, 65,400 people from home and abroad escaped due to a chaotic message and panic caused by new restrictions.

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