THE United States (US) has advised citizens against travelling to Hong Kong, citing strict coronavirus curbs and the risk of children being separated from parents as the city battles a wave of infections.

“The State Department has updated the travel advisory for Hong Kong to Level 4 – do not travel due to Covid-19 and Covid-19-related restrictions, including the risk of parents and children being separated,” said the US consulate in a statement on Twitter.

“In some cases, children in Hong Kong who test positive have been separated from their parents and kept in isolation until they meet local hospital discharge requirements.”

The higher travel warning is the first time such separations have been specifically cited in an advisory.

Level 4 is the State Department’s highest level for a travel advisory.

The Asian financial hub is in the grip of its worst coronavirus outbreak, registering tens of thousands of new cases a day, overwhelming hospitals and shattering its zero-Covid strategy.

More than 200,000 infections have been recorded in the last two months, compared with just 12,000 for the rest of the pandemic – while its death rate is currently four times Singapore’s.

The Chinese city kept infections largely at bay for two years using a strict zero-Covid strategy, but an outbreak of the highly infectious Omicron variant has been tearing through the city since January.

The government has been caught flat-footed, with few plans in place to deal with a mass outbreak despite the two-year breathing room afforded by its zero-Covid success.

In recent weeks, the city has seen overflowing hospitals and morgues, shortages of medics and ambulances, panic buying and a frantic expansion of spartan quarantine camps and temporary hospitals to house the infected with mainland China’s help.

The outbreak has led to the imposition of the toughest restrictions yet, with more than a dozen types of businesses closed and a ban on more than two people gathering in public.

UK, Australia fears

Departures by foreign residents have spiked, while businesses have voiced growing frustration and alarm over the city’s descent into further international isolation.

It emerged last week that some parents are being separated from children – including babies – who tested positive.

Hong Kong health authorities defended the policy of separating sick children from their uninfected parents, saying that rapidly filling hospital spaces should be reserved for patients.

British consul general Brian Davidson said his team has “robustly challenged” the Hong Kong government over the practice of separating infants from parents, while the Australian consulate said it has taken up the issue with authorities.

The US State Department warned that travellers in the city may be subject to mandatory virus testing.

Under China’s order to return to zero-Covid, city leader Carrie Lam has ordered all 7.4 million residents to be tested later this month.

Details are currently scant on how this will work and where the infected will be housed.

But authorities have made clear they do not want people recovering at home, deepening fears of separation for many families.

In a study released yesterday, Hong Kong University experts estimated 1.7 million Hong Kongers – roughly a quarter of the population – are infected in the current wave. – AFP, March 2, 2022.