Hong Kong urges testing, Shanghai struggles under lockdown

Hong Kong authorities are asking the entire population of more than 7.4 million to voluntarily test themselves for COVID-19 for three days in a row starting next week

Hong Kong authorities on Saturday asked the entire population of more than 7.4 million people to voluntarily test themselves for COVID-19 at home for three days in a row starting next week.

The announcement by Chief Executive Carrie Lam on Saturday came as the southern Chinese city is struggling to contain a fifth wave of infections that has led to mixed signals about testing and lockdowns.

Lam said a “compulsory, universal test” of the whole population is still essential, but did not say when that might happen. Authorities shelved the idea after a previous announcement caused panic buying.

The prospect of further school closures and other disruptions has the government caught between calls for loosening restrictions and Beijing’s demand for an extreme “zero-COVID” approach mandating lockdowns and mass testing.

Hong Kong on Friday lifted a ban on Hong Kong residents returning aboard flights from nine countries where COVID-19 cases have surged, including Britain and the U.S.

Hong Kong reported another 5,820 cases were detected Friday as the latest surge begins to taper off.

Meanwhile, in Shanghai to the north, authorities are struggling to meet requirements for a lockdown on many of the city’s 26 million residents — the largest such undertaking by China since the virus was first detected in the central city of Wuhan in late 2019.