The backstory:
- Hong Kong has stringent COVID-19 rules that the government has put in place since the start of the pandemic.
- This, among other things, means mandatory mask-wearing, quarantine camps for close contacts and designated hotel quarantine for travelers into the region.
- This is while other countries around the world reopen their borders, deeming it too expensive to stay locked down and have their economies closed. And this approach has brought scrutiny, with some calling it unsustainable and others saying that the international hub will lose its Asia financial hub status if it persists.
- But even though the region has such strict rules, the city is now seeing its fifth wave.
- With that, restaurants are closed after 6 p.m., and places like bars, karaoke rooms, cinemas, swimming pools and mahjong parlors have been closed temporarily. In addition, there is a flight ban from eight countries, and face-to-face classes at schools have been halted until February 21.
The development:
- Hong Kong is now seeing a relative surge of COVID-19 cases. On Sunday, health officials said that there were 342 cases detected. On Saturday, the city reported 351 total cases.
- All of the latest infections were local, with 136 untraceable, and there are now over 300 preliminary-positive cases reported.
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