As Covid-19 cases multiply by 60, is Hong Kong’s health infrastructure failing?

Hong Kong’s coronavirus battle intensified on Thursday as authorities reported new cases had multiplied by 60 times so far this month and media reported that testing would become compulsory for everyone in the global financial hub from March.

Hospitals are overwhelmed with some patients, including elderly, left lying on beds outside in chilly, sometimes rainy weather, in shocking scenes that prompted an apology from authorities in the Chinese controlled city.

Schools, gyms cinemas and most public venues are shut. Many office employees work from home. But, many residents are fatigued by the harsh restrictions imposed to protect them against the pandemic, even as most other major cities in the world adjust to living with the virus.

Health authorities reported a record 6,116 confirmed cases on Thursday, up from 4,285 the previous day, with a further 6,300 preliminary positive cases. That takes the total since January to more than 16,600. They reported 24 new deaths.

The jump in cases is the biggest test yet of the city’s "dynamic zero-COVID" policy, but leader Carrie Lam said this week the city "cannot surrender to the virus."

Some media reports, citing unidentified sources, said the government planned to test up to one million people each day from March and those who failed to comply would be fined HK$10,000 ($1,282).

The government did not respond to a request for comment.

"Because of the severe number of cases we need to speed up admission to hospitals and community isolation facilities," undersecretary for food and health Chui Tak-yi told reporters. "The government is trying to ease all these bottlenecks."

Quarantine facilities had reached capacity and hospital beds were more than 90% full, authorities said. In a move to free up beds for isolation, Lam said late on Wednesday she had spoken with local hotel owners and planned to make up to 10,000 hotel rooms available for COVID-19 patients.