Hong Kong's leader Carrie Lam mulls easing Covid rules

HongKong's leader said Thursday she was mullingeasingsome of the city's coronavirus restrictions due to waningpublictolerance, but could not provide a roadmap out of the current Omicron-fuelled crisis.

CarrieLam's administration has been pummelled by all sides over its unclearpublicmessaging and handling ofHongKong's fifth wave, which has brought nearly a million cases and 4,600 deaths in less than three months.

The jump in case numbers comes despite the finance hub putting in place border restrictions since the pandemic's start and deploying some of the harshest social-distancing measures outside mainland China.

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Since Omicron broke through in January, there have been bans onpublicgatherings of more than two, restrictions on night-time dining and mandatory masking while doing outdoor activities.

The latest new restrictions came Thursday, whenpublicbeaches were closed.

ButLamtold a press conference that "the time has come" to review the restrictions.

"Not because the number of cases has come down... but I have a very strong feeling that people'stolerancearefading," she said.

"Some of our financial institutions are losing patience about this sort of isolated status ofHongKong," she added, promising an update would come "around March 20 or 21".

When pressed on a roadmap for a way out of the crisis, she declined to give specifics.

"The most difficult part of fighting the virus is that we cannot fully predict what's going to happen."

Despite two hard-won years of breathing room due toHongKong's adherence to the mainland's zero-Covidstrategy, the city is currently seeing scenes reminiscent of the pandemic's start, with mounting elderly deaths and overcrowded hospitals.

Authorities initially announced plans for mass testing of the city's 7.4 million people accompanied by a lockdown, before rolling them back.

The panic fuelled by mixed messaging and further restrictions prompted a record-high exodus of 65,400 local and foreign residents from the finance hub in February.

International banks such as JPMorgan and Bank of America have been working on relocation plans in view of flight bans and potential lockdown, according to a Financial Times report last week.

AndLam's near-daily press conferences aboutCovidhave done little to stop rumours about mass testing and lockdown plans.

Very grateful

Researchers estimateHongKong's infection toll is significantly higher than official figures, likely already reaching half its population.

China has offered to aidHongKongin itsCovidbattle, including providing about 400 medics who arrived this week to support the city's health workers.

But members of the health sector, lawmakers and reporters have repeatedly raised questions about the visiting medics' legal liabilities.

On Wednesday a reporter from local NowTV channel askedLamhow patients' complaints over the medics will be handled -- drawing wrath from a pro-Beijing group that started a petition calling for the journalist's firing.

Newspaper Ta Kung Pao -- affiliated with Beijing's liaison office -- also published an article alleging questions of liability were "seditious" and could run afoul of China's national security law.

By Thursday afternoon, NowTV news channel issued an apology for the reporter's question at the press conference.

"We are very grateful for the selfless support from the central government and mainland China," it said.

HongKongauthorities have said the city will shoulder ultimate responsibility.

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