Coronavirus: Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam fuels talk she may not seek re-election after comments on leaving pandemic probe to next administration
- Chief executive says it will be up to the next administration to conduct a full investigation into handling of pandemic, and offers herself as an adviser
- Hong Kong confirms 8,037 new infections, the second consecutive day case numbers are below the 10,000 mark, and reports another 151 deaths
Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor’s latest remarks on Sunday on the probe also suggested it could be an investigation formally set up as a commission of inquiry vested with judicial powers.
Lam, whose five-year term will expire on June 30, has yet to indicate a bid for a second term but her comments on deferring the pandemic probe and her future role in it sparked speculation she was opting out of the city’s leadership race set for May 8.
The poll’s nomination period will kick off next Sunday on April 3, and hopefuls must submit their papers before April 16.
On Sunday, Hong Kong confirmed 8,037 new coronavirus infections, the second consecutive day case numbers were below the 10,000 mark, and recorded 151 Covid-related deaths, including those that occurred earlier but were only being reported now because of a backlog.
The city’s Covid-19 tally since the pandemic began stands at 1,128,507 confirmed cases, with 7,252 related deaths.
But even with the declining infections, government pandemic adviser Professor Gabriel Leung earlier on Sunday described the daily caseload as having only gone from “extremely high” to “very high” and warned people not to let their guard down.
