Hong Kong Covid-19 death rate hits world’s highest
Hong Kong’s Covid-19 death rate is now the highest in the world, according to new calculations today, as the city’s residents struggle under tough restrictions.
The city has adopted Beijing’s controversial ‘zero-Covid’ stance, which pushed the US to caution against travelling to the financial hub last week.
Hong Kong’s weekly rolling average climbed to 27 deaths per one million people on Sunday, Bloomberg calculated using John Hopkins University data.
Some 25,150 new Covid-19 cases were recorded on Monday, a figure which appears to be shrinking from the 55,000 that were reported on Wednesday.
However, an online platform for residents to self-report positive rapid flow test results will launch this evening and health officials expected a surge in cases being reported.
Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam had warned in mid-February that the fifth wave had “outgrown” the city’s capacity, when it was recording an average of 2,000 cases a day.
Life under ‘zero-Covid’ restrictions has grown increasingly hard for residents of the city.
Business Insider reporter Sofia Horta e Costa tweeted on Saturday that under Hong Kong’s restrictions, she was fined HK$5,000 (£486) for taking off her mask during a 9.5km run.
Corporate expat employees have also cited the so-called ‘draconian’ restrictions as their reason for considering leaving Hong Kong.