Thread by @AP

Uncertainty is the only certainty in Hong Kong, where a COVID-19 outbreak is overwhelming the city and the government is sending mixed messages on whether it will lock down its 7.4 million residents for mass testing. apnews.com/article/covid-…

Store shelves are emptying. Fewer buses and trains are running as hundreds of transit workers become infected. After keeping the virus at bay for nearly two years, Hong Kong has been unable to control the outbreak fueled by the contagious omicron variant. apne.ws/K9QHaq8

The government has flip-flopped on plans for mass testing and a possible lockdown.

Previously, Hong Kong embraced a tough “zero COVID” strategy that shuttered businesses, imposed entry curbs and limited public gatherings. apnews.com/article/covid-…

Over 760,000 cases and 4,300 deaths have been reported since the wave began. But researchers estimate that closer to 3.6 million people, about half the city’s population, have been infected.

WHO said infections rose 29% in the Western Pacific last week. apnews.com/article/covid-…

China has sent experts, medical staff and construction crews to Hong Kong, expanding testing and hospital capacity but also raising fears that Hong Kong might adopt tough mainland-style restrictions — notably its lockdowns of entire cities. apne.ws/OKx5AsA

“Everything was starting to look up by the end of 2021,” said Francis Lun, an investment manager and a veteran market commentator.

“But all of a sudden, the omicron hit, and it’s completely out of control now.” apnews.com/article/covid-…