Coronavirus: Hong Kong turns to mainland China, private sector for supplies of test kits, masks and other medical goods amid worsening fifth wave
- Commerce chief Edward Yau says government has sent a list of needed supplies to Chinese authorities to fight escalating outbreak
- City’s major developers have offered sites to build isolation and treatment facilities, while billionaire Li Ka-shing has donated HK$10 million
Hong Kong authorities have turned to mainland China to gather large amounts of necessary Covid-19 supplies, a minister has said, while donations from the private sector have poured in amid an escalating fifth wave of coronavirus infections.
Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Edward Yau Tang-wah, who heads a government task force overseeing medical supplies, said on Friday that local authorities had sent a list of resources to the central government, including personal protective equipment (PPE), proprietary Chinese medicine and rapid antigen testing kits, which were all in high demand as the city ramped up its screening efforts.
He said the city had received “staunch national support” to fight the pandemic.
“For medical supplies that cannot be procured through our own efforts, or for large amounts, we will ask for help from the central government,” Yau said.
A week ago, the mainland delivered 10 million rapid antigen test kits, 150,000 boxes of Chinese medicine and 25 million KN95 masks to the city in batches.
Since Chinese President Xi Jinping told the Hong Kong government on February 16 that its “overriding mission” was to stabilise society and control the city’s worsening outbreak, the private sector and NGOs have stepped in by offering donations and various forms of help.
