Hong Kong considers lockdown as daily infections top 34,000

HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong reported a record-high 34,466 new infections Monday as deaths continued to climb, with health authorities saying that a lockdown has not been ruled out even though the city’s leader previously said that a citywide lockdown was unrealistic.

Hong Kong is currently grappling with the fifth wave of the coronavirus, driven primarily by the omicron variant. Monday’s more than 34,000 cases have more than quadrupled from a week ago, when the city reported over 7,500 infections.

“Once every three days the case number will double,” said Albert Au, principal medical and health officer of the city’s Centre for Health Protection during a daily virus briefing. “We think that the number will continue to climb.”

The city also reported 87 deaths Monday. Of the 87 deaths, 67 were unvaccinated.

Health authorities said there could be measures put in place by the government that may involve “asking people to stay at home,” and that it remains to be seen if such measures will be done via legislation or other means.

Hong Kong’s health minister Sophia Chan said during a radio program Monday that the government was “still discussing” the matter of a lockdown to reduce the flow of people and maximize the effectiveness of the mass-testing exercise.

On Monday, several supermarkets in the city had their shelves wiped bare as residents stockpiled on daily necessities after rumors circulated on WhatsApp and social media suggested that there was a vote in legislature to lock down Hong Kong for a week.

In a statement, the government denied that such a matter was being discussed.

“The Legislative Council (LegCo) Secretariat is aware of various recorded voice and text messages being widely spread in the society, claiming that LegCo is undergoing legislative work and counting...