Hong Kong considers lockdown as daily infections top 34,000

Hong Kong reported a record-high 34,466 infections on Monday as deaths continued to climb

HONG KONG -- Hong Kong reported a record-high 34,466 new infections Monday as deaths continued to climb, with health authorities saying that a lockdown has not been ruled out even though the city’s leader previously said that a citywide lockdown was unrealistic.

Hong Kong is currently grappling with the fifth wave of the coronavirus, driven primarily by the omicron variant. Monday’s more than 34,000 cases have more than quadrupled from a week ago, when the city reported over 7,500 infections.

“Once every three days the case number will double,” said Albert Au, principal medical and health officer of the city’s Centre for Health Protection during a daily virus briefing. “We think that the number will continue to climb.”

The city also reported 87 deaths Monday. Of the 87 deaths, 67 were unvaccinated.