China sends medical team to Hong Kong to increase COVID-19 testing

China has sent a seven-member team to Hong Kong to help increase the coronavirus testing in the semi-autonomous region as it races to halt a third wave of the disease. According to reports, the seven members are the first to arrive in Hong Kong, of the 60 members that are expected to reach the former British colony to step-up the COVID-19 measures. The delegates from mainland China are the first ones sent by Beijing to assist Hong Kong in its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic since the outbreak was first reported in December last year.

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As per reports, the seven-member team consists of six specialists from the initial epicentre Wuhan and one from public hospitals in Guangdong province. Hong Kong's chief executive Carrie Lam on August 1 said that the city asked for help from Beijing due to a growing number of cases in the past few weeks. According to China's National Health Commission, Hong Kong has recorded 3,396 cases so far, of which 31 people have died and 1,858 had been cured and discharged from hospital. Hong Kong has been logging in triple-digit new infections daily for the past 11 days. 

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Hong Kong protests

The city is also witnessing widespread protests from the past one year, which turned massive last month following Beijing's decision to implement the new national security law for Hong Kong. People are coming out in large numbers to protests, which authorities fear could be one of the reasons behind increasing cases. The city's election commission recently suspended legislative election that was due in September citing a surge in COVID-19 cases, which also garnered condemnation from the local and international community. 

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