HONG KONG: The Hong Kong government on Thursday (February 24) called on the emergency services to allow doctors and nurses from mainland China to practice in the financial center as they struggle to cope with the crisis.

The sparsely populated metropolis is reeling from the worst wave of COVID-19, recording thousands of cases daily, overcoming hospitals and government efforts to isolate all infected from dedicated units. 

The Hong Kong authorities have followed a zero COVID strategy similar to mainland China, which has prevented most infections throughout the pandemic.

But they were caught barefoot when the more infectious variant of Omicron broke through the defenses, and since then they have increasingly called for mainland China for help.

"Hong Kong is now facing a terrible epidemic situation, which is deteriorating rapidly," the government said in a statement announcing the use of emergency forces. At present, Chinese mainland medicines are not allowed to operate in Hong Kong without undergoing local investigations and licensing rules.

Emergency energy "exempts certain persons or projects from all relevant legal requirements.

The move comes after Chinese President Xi Jinping ordered Hong Kong last week to use "everything necessary" to control tolerance, suggesting that Hong Kong will not be allowed to live with viruses like most of the world.

The permit for medical personnel in China to work in Hong Kong has been controversial for many years.

Even before the outbreak spread, protesters argued it could make the city unsuitable for more medical procedures.

In the past, city health officials have struggled with issues like speech and culture, but critics have dismissed it as a defense.

Hong Kong was to function as a semi-autonomous region of China after its restoration under British colonial rule in 1997.

However, its independence has been eroded by China's support for democracy in recent years. 

+ Workforce 'Exhausted'

Hong Kong now has more than 62,000 confirmed COVID-19 patients, up from just 12,000 two years ago.

Health experts fear the real picture will be exacerbated by feedback, and people shouldn't try for fear of being forced into the exclusion group if they are effective.

By Wednesday, about 1,200 health workers had been infected, hospital officials said.

Hospital Superintendent Henry Van told state media on Monday that he hoped the Chinese government would continue to send doctors and paramedics as local staff were at full strength.

Hong Kong has ordered three coronavirus tests for a total of 7.4 million people next month. China is helping to build isolated hospitals and temporary churches, but it is unclear whether they will be built.

According to regional models, the city could see around 180,000 cases and 100 deaths in a single day through mid-March.

China increasingly dominates Hong Kong with fiat currency.

In response to large independence protests over the past two years, Beijing's legislature announced a national security policy and improved urban policy.

Local police still rely on emergency orders. During protests in 2019, police used this force to ban mask-wearing.

Next year an emergency order was used to make mask-wearing mandatory during an outbreak.

The city's vaccination law was also asked to ban public gatherings, strict disputes and business closures that have been in place for two years.

Mayor Carrie Lam defended her case, addressing the severity of the disease.

“In a crisis environment like this, we cannot let existing policies do what we need to do,” he said on Tuesday. "It's not the battle spirit."