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Hong Kong Sees Most Covid Cases Since April Amid Bar Cluster

Hong Kong is seeing Covid-19 cases climb again, with the number of new infections at a six-week high.

Hong Kong Sees Most Covid Cases Since April Amid Bar Cluster
Hong Kong Sees Most Covid Cases Since April Amid Bar Cluster

Hong Kong is seeing Covid-19 cases climb again, with the number of new infections at a six-week high amid a growing cluster that originated at a group of nightclubs in the financial hub’s Central district. 

The city reported 515 cases on Sunday, the most since April 23. More than 200 cases have been linked to the outbreak associated with four bars, thought to have emerged after the latest round of social-distancing curbs were loosened about a week ago. The clusters are most likely to be the predominant BA2.2 strain, the city’s health official said. Centralized quarantine is enforced for those carrying non-prevalent BA2.2 sub variants.

The health officials said that although there has been higher case counts in recent days, there’s been no change in the number of hospitalizations and serious infections.

The rebound comes after weeks of daily caseloads below 200, and a sense of relief in Hong Kong that the city may finally be through what has been its most lethal and disruptive Covid wave. 

Customers at a Lan Kwai Fong bar during its reopening, on May 19.Photographer: Bertha Wang/Bloomberg
Customers at a Lan Kwai Fong bar during its reopening, on May 19.Photographer: Bertha Wang/Bloomberg

The uptick will add to concerns that Hong Kong may backtrack on some of its pandemic easing, particularly as the handover of power from Chief Executive Carrie Lam to her successor, Beijing loyalist John Lee, looms. 

Hong Kong has in recent weeks forced patients with even mild infections caused by new omicron sub-variants and their close contacts into government-run isolation, backing away from a practice that has seen most positive people able to quarantine at home over the past few months. 

Hong Kong Backpedals on Home Quarantine for Covid Sub-Variants

The backpedaling was criticized by business groups and even a local public health expert. While authorities claimed the move didn’t signal a wider change in policy, international chambers of commerce in Hong Kong said it was another blow to the city’s already damaged status as a global financial center. 

“We will continue to lose international talent and businesses, impacting Hong Kong’s competitiveness even further,” said Joseph Armas, chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong. 

Read more about the reaction from business groups here. 

Ongoing pandemic border curbs remain one of the biggest issues for foreign business and expatriates. 

While some of the incoming travel curbs have been eased in recent months, mandatory hotel quarantine is still required for anyone entering Hong Kong, unless they’re coming from mainland China. A resurgence in Covid cases may give less of an incentive for authorities to further reduce curbs that are isolating the financial hub. 

(Adds comments from health officials in second and third paragraphs)

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