Pro-democracy protesters have all but vanished from the streets of Hong Kong over the past month as residents avoid the new coronavirus, but the outbreak has broadened discontent with the city’s leadership and China’s influence on the financial hub. Some business leaders and pro-Beijing politicians have joined pro-democracy and union figures in attacking Carrie Lam’s administration for what they see as an uncoordinated response to the virus and its refusal to seal the border with mainland China, which might have prevented infections. “Regardless of political opinions, people in Hong Kong have already lost confidence in the government of Carrie Lam,” said Mike Lam, chief executive of the AbouThai department store chain.
