Thousands flee to mainland China as Hong Kong Covid-19 outbreak widens

A medical worker takes a swab sample from a woman in Hong Kong on Friday, Feb 18, 2022. - Reuters

HONG KONG, Feb 18 (Bloomberg): Chinese residents in Hong Kong are racing to get back to the mainland to get away from the financial hub’s worsening Covid-19 outbreak, posing a challenge for officials fearful of contagion.

On Friday, hundreds of people queued at a border checkpoint between Hong Kong and Shenzhen, with many waiting hours to get through all checks and processes. Most have family ties with the mainland or are Chinese nationals studying or working in Hong Kong.