Hong Kong leader says fifth COVID wave has 'overwhelmed' city's capacity

The latest wave of COVID-19 infections has 'overwhelmed' Hong Kong, the city's leader said on Monday as daily cases surged by some 20 times over the past two weeks, leaving hospitals short of beds and struggling to cope. Carrie Lam, the head of the administration in the Chinese ruled city, issued a grim update for residents already subjected to tight restrictions on social gatherings as health authorities reported a record 2,071 infections on Monday, with 4,500 separate preliminary positive cases. 'The onslaught of the fifth wave of the epidemic has dealt a heavy blow to Hong Kong and overwhelmed the city's capacity of handling,' Lam said, adding patients were having to wait longer to access isolation facilities.