Hong Kong reviews Covid restrictions as cases decline

Hong Kong’s leader has said the government will consider lifting strict social distancing measures as new Covid infections in the city continue to fall.

Hong Kong has seen a massive outbreak, recording more than one million total cases in the city of 7.4 million.

The city has been hit hard, with mortuaries full as officials try to cope with a high number of deaths. Hong Kong has so far refrained from a strict city-wide lockdown like those that China regularly imposes to control the spread of the virus.

But new infections in the city have been declining.

In early March, Hong Kong reported more than 50,000 new infections in one day but on Saturday that daily figure was down to 16,583.

Chief executive Carrie Lam said: “Having gone through the peak that you have seen here… I think a responsible government should regularly and vigorously review these measures, to see whether there is room for adjustment.”

She said a review is under way and she will present the findings on Monday.

The vast majority of Hong Kong’s Covid deaths have been among those not fully vaccinated, with many in the elderly population.

The city has reported 5,437 deaths as of Saturday’s data, which have far outstripped the death toll in China at 4,638.

Hong Kong, although a part of China, is a special administrative region and counts its death toll separately.

Ms Lam warned the city could still see a resurgence in infections.

“The Covid situation is still severe although we have hit the peak apparently and there’s a downward trend.

“However, from sewage surveillance, we can see there can be a possibility of rebound.”