Hong Kong puts mass testing on hold as COVID-19 deaths rise
HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam says reducing the skyrocketing number of deaths in the latest coronavirus surge is the city’s priority, putting a plan to test the entire population on hold in the latest flip-flop in the government’s pandemic response. Lam said there is no specific time frame for a citywide testing, two weeks after she announced it would happen this month. Her earlier announcement, coupled with rumors of an accompanying lockdown, left store shelves bare as residents stockpiled daily necessities. The city of 7.4 million people is in the grip of a spiraling omicron outbreak that has swamped hospitals and morgues and reduced hours or shut restaurants and other shops in the normally bustling financial hub.