Hong Kong hospital can face ‘collapse’ as coronavirus cases increase

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam has warned that the hospital system could suffer “collapse” as it deals with a sharp increase in coronavirus cases.

Ms. Lam warned the city was on the “verge of a large-scale community outbreak, which may lead to a collapse of our hospital system and cost lives, especially of the elderly”.

She urged people to “follow strictly to social distancing measures and stay at home as far as possible”.

She gave her statement as Hong Kong confirmed 106 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 on Tuesday whereas 145 cases were reported on Monday. 

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The city has overall 2,885 confirmed cases of coronavirus out of which 23 people have died whereas 1,527 have recovered. The number of active cases is 1,335.

The city has issued new regulations, including face masks and closure of dine-in restaurants. 

Dining in restaurants is banned from Wednesday, only two people from different households can meet. Face masks have been made compulsory in public. The city has earlier closed spaces like bars, gyms, and beauty parlors.

Public gatherings of up to 50 people were permitted at the start of the month, but that was decreased to four, and now two. 

New Zealand has suspended its extradition treaty with Hong Kong in response to China’s controversial security law.

Travel advice has been given to people of New Zealand to alert them about risks presented by the law.

China’s embassy in New Zealand reacted to the move and said that the suspension was “gross interference in China’s internal affairs”.