Aticle By Bill Petros

Release Date:

April 13, 2022

New COVID Strain in China:

It's now two years since a new strain of coronavirus was discovered in Wuhan Province, China. Dubbed COVID-19, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared it a global pandemic in March 2020.

Since then, the virus has mutated with new strains, such as Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta, causing new and subsequent waves in various countries and territories.

On 11 February, Hong Kong recently reported a record number of new daily COVID-19 infections (1,325) caused by a new Delta strain, "sub-lineage AY.4". The new strain was first detected in Zhenjian Province, forcing authorities to place new restrictions against traveling to other parts of the country. China pledged its full support of the Special Administrative Region (SAR), initiating its "dynamic zero" COVID-19 strategy amid intense efforts by local authorities to contain the worsening outbreak.

In the city's pursuit of curbing the surge in infections, Hong Kong's health officials met with the Chinese administration on 12 February to discuss the necessary support measures that the government highlighted in a statement. An Over-stretched Healthcare System In a report by Chuang Shuk-kwan, a senior health official, Hong Kong's healthcare system is overloaded, overstretching the already limited resources and frontline health workers.

Data from the city's Hospital Authority indicated the hospital beds for COVID-19 patients are at 90% occupancy, raising grave concerns among Chinese central government officials regarding the safety and health of city residents and their economic livelihoods.

Rising Number of Fatalities Since September 2021, there has not been a single case of COVID-19-related fatality, but the new strain has resulted in the death of five elderly individuals. Since the initial outbreak in 2019, the city has recorded 181,859 infections and 2,007 fatalities, much lower than most major cities throughout the globe.

Still, medical professionals warn of an uptick in new infections that would cause severe cases, most so among the largely-unvaccinated elderly population. That has compelled local authorities to revamp its prevention strategy, forcing children and the elderly to get vaccinated. Additionally, long queues and waiting lines outside testing centers further increase the risk of infection.