Hong Kong is facing its worst coronavirus outbreak ever, and the city is woefully unprepared for the surge.
With local infections growing to 560 in about two weeks, the Asian financial hub has been caught off-guard by the sudden eruption of infections, close to half of which are untraceable. While other places in the region like Australia are also facing aggressive resurgences, their hospital bed vacancies and testing capabilities appear to outstrip those of Hong Kong’s.
And, unlike in Japan and the United States, where mostly young people are becoming infected, Hong Kong’s outbreak is affecting an older group of patients than before, raising the likelihood of more cases turning critical. The median age this time is 55 years old, up from 40 in previous waves, and clusters are forming in nursing homes.