Hong Kong to fight Covid with "unwavering determination" under Xi Jinping's support: Carrie Lam

Hong Kong authorities will follow President Xi Jinping's instruction to contain ongoing Covid outbreaks as the top priority, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said.  

This came after President Xi Jinping called for "all necessary measures" to get Hong Kong's virus outbreak under control after Lam on Tuesday said she had no plans for a citywide lockdown.  

The Chinese leader said Lam's government should make stabilizing the SAR's fifth Covid wave its top priority, the pro-Beijing Wen Wei Po newspaper reported Wednesday.  

Lam said on Wednesday that the city will utilize all available resources and adopt all necessary measures to ensure the safety and health of citizens, as well as the stability of society.  

The government has been striving to contain the virus by a multi-pronged approach and continuously adjusting measures to boost its capability under the fifth outbreak, Lam said.  

"However, the rapid development of the disease has put Hong Kong under a considerably severe situation and outgrown the handling capacity of the government," she added.  

She said she had submitted a report to the central authorities as well as concrete requests for assistance.  

Lam also said the anti-Covid task forces between Hong Kong and the mainland had commenced services after the second Mainland-Hong Kong thematic meeting on the Covid-19 epidemic last Saturday.  

The five areas of work encompass exchange of views among epidemiologists, enhancement of the capacity of Covid testing, construction of community isolation and treatment facilities, ensuring medical supplies and other supplies from the mainland.  

Meanwhile, Stewart Leung Chi-Kin, chairman of the Executive Committee of the Real Estate Developers Association of Hong Kong, said Lam is meeting with the association's members who own hotels in Hong Kong on Wednesday afternoon via videoconferencing to discuss the arrangement of using hotel rooms for quarantine purposes, including those operated by property giants such as Wharf, CK Asset, and Sun Hung Kai.  

The Stan Group, which operates 11 hotels in Hong Kong, is also attending the meeting.  

Leung said he supports the measure as a citizen and believes the companies will do their best to help, but the actual number of hotel rooms to be allocated is to be decided by the government.