Beijing Backs Hong Kong Lockdown as Covid Crisis Worsens, Sources Say
- Hong Kong resistant to full lockdown; open to targeted curbs
- Two sides meeting often, people familiar with the talks say
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Chinese officials have told Hong Kong that they think a lockdown will be needed to contain surging Covid-19 cases, according to people familiar with the discussions, with the city’s government conceding some kind of targeted stay-at-home restrictions may be necessary if the situation continues to spiral out of control.
The two sides have been meeting frequently to discuss Hong Kong’s outbreak, which has seen the financial hub go from a handful of Covid cases early this year to more than 7,000 a day after the highly transmissible omicron variant infiltrated its tight border and quarantine defenses.