Lockdown Fears Persist With Fewer Than 1,000 Infections

Greetings from Michelle in Hong Kong, where the air is damp no matter the temperature. This region was the first to encounter Covid-19 in late 2019, and now it’s the last still fighting to eliminate all vestiges of the virus. But before we get to those efforts …

The threat of Covid-19 outbreaks continue to hang over China and Hong Kong, despite the fact that they are posting new infection rates — below 200 and 1,000 respectively — that are among the world’s lowest. The explanation for the success is the same as the reason for the worry: a strict zero-tolerance policy that can lead to snap lockdowns or days in isolation for simply coming into contact with someone infected.