Fifth wave has outgrown HK’s capacity, but no lockdown for the city: Lam

The government will enhance capacity in various parts of its anti-epidemic effort instead.

Chief Executive Carrie Lam said Hong Kong will not be placed under a citywide lockdown, despite admitting that the city’s capacity has been “outgrown” by the fifth wave of the epidemic.

In a meeting with local media, Lam said Hong Kong will “find its own way out of the pandemic,” instead of implementing lockdowns.

“So far, our measures to contain the spread of the disease remains a legitimate and valid one,” the chief executive said.

Amongst these measures include district-based restrictions like restriction-testing declarations, which Lam said have been successfully adopted for months.

“The government has already conducted over 100 such operations… These operations have proven to be effective, in terms of identifying a large number of infected cases,” she added.

Lam said the government’s plan is also to enhance “capacity in various parts of this anti-epidemic effort,” which includes the city’s community isolation facilities.

According to Lam, the government will convert newly built public rental housing namely Blocks 1 and 7 of Queen's Hill Estate in Fanling, and Heng King House in Lai King Estate to provide more than 3,000 isolation units.
 
“One unit sometimes could accommodate a whole family, if unfortunately, members of the family are all confirmed preliminary positive for COVID-19,” Lam said.
 
The chief executive is also set to meet with the hotel sector to formulate a plan for community isolation purposes. According to Lam, the government is looking for a “wholesale block” or a hotel which is occupying a whole building with a certain number of rooms.
 
“We will do a wholesale plan and require them to sign on the plan so as to deliver a few thousand, up to 10,000 rooms within a very short period,” Lam said.