China's President Xi Jinping has told Hong Kong's leaders that their “overriding mission” was to stabilise and control a worsening COVID-19 outbreak, media reported on Wednesday as a fast rising wave of infections overwhelmed authorities.
The directive ramps up pressure on Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam a day after she said her government's response to the outbreak had been unsatisfactory, with hospitals and medical staff unable to cope.
Xi said the government "must mobilise all power and resources to take all necessary measures to ensure the safety and health of the Hong Kong people and ensure the stability of the society," according to the newspapers. Lam, who has not confirmed whether she will seek another five-year term as head of the Chinese-ruled city, said she could "not preclude" the possibility of postponing next month's chief executive election.
But the speed of the spread of the highly contagious Omicron variant of the virus has left authorities floundering, with Lam saying they can no longer keep up with testing and isolation mandates. However, medical experts have warned cases could surge to 28,000 daily by the end of March amid worries about high levels of vaccine hesitancy among the elderly.
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