While street protests have largely lost momentum, anti-government and anti-Beijing sentiment persists, with China's offer of mass coronavirus testing for Hong Kong residents prompting calls for a boycott amid public distrust.
The delay has marked a setback for the anti-China camp, which had aimed to win a majority of seats in the legislature. Joshua Wong, one of the disqualified candidates, said their resistance will continue despite crackdowns under the new security law.
Leader Carrie Lam says a third of all infections since the outbreak started have been recorded in the last fortnight. HSBC, Standard Chartered and other banks are racing to close branches or curtail working hours after the spike in cases.
TikTok to exit Hong Kong market within days, while other technology companies, including Facebook, WhatsApp, Telegram, Google, Zoom and Twitter, suspend processing government requests for user data in the region over Beijing's new security laws.