Hong Kong is running low on coffins amid its deadliest Covid wave

 

在最致命的一波武肺疫情中 香港的棺材幾乎用罄

【摘要2022.4.1.五.自由】◎張沛元

Hong Kong is scrambling to import more coffins as the Chinese territory struggles to handle the surge in deaths during the latest wave of the pandemic.

隨著香港努力處理最新一波武漢肺炎疫情大流行的死亡病例激增，這個中國領土正忙著進口更多棺材。

More than 90 percent of all the deaths linked to the virus since the pandemic started happened in the past 30 days, putting a strain on mortuaries, funeral homes and the local government.

自武肺疫情爆發以來，（香港當地）超過9成與武肺病毒有關的死亡，發生在過去30天，對太平間、殯儀館與當地政府造成壓力與負擔。

The number of bodies at public mortuaries has risen "exponentially," said Carrie Lam, the chief executive, this week. Hong Kong has recorded about 7,400 deaths tied to the virus since 2020.

（香港）行政長官林鄭月娥本週表示，當地公共殮房的遺體數量「以倍數增加」。香港自2020年以來已有約7400人死於武肺病毒。

Hong Kong officials have already brought in 2,170 coffins from mainland China and have ordered at least 1,000 more that were expected to arrive this week, the city’s Food and Environmental Hygiene Department said.

香港食物環境衛生署表示，港府官員已從中國大陸引進2170具棺木，並已訂購至少1000具棺木，預計本週到貨。

新聞辭典

run low on something：片語，幾乎用完，缺少，不足。例句：We are running low on milk and sugar at our pantry.（我們的食物櫃裡的牛奶與糖快用完了。）

surge：名詞，陡增，遽增，急遽上升；湧現，奔湧。

put a strain on (someone or something)：慣用語，對某人或某事的資源或能力，造成過大或壓倒性負擔。例句：The rising number of Covid cases has put a severe strain on the health care system.（武肺病例上升已對健保體系造成嚴重壓力與負擔。）