HONG KONG (Reuters) – The Hong Kong government shut down part of the Kowloon peninsula on Saturday following an outbreak of the novel coronavirus, saying 10,000 residents should stay at home until tested and results largely determined.
The first such measure the city has taken since the start of the pandemic has taken place in the densely populated areas of Jordan, where there are many outdated, subdivided flats where the virus can more easily spread.
The government said there are 70 buildings in the restricted area, which is close to the International Commerce Center (ICC), and it aims to complete the process in about 48 hours so people can return to work Monday.
Hong Kong chief Carrie Lam said 50 makeshift test points had been set up and 3,000 officials assisted.
“We are also doing this to allay the concerns of the residents as it was said that this is an epidemic area and that it has affected the lives, psychology and affairs of the people here,” Lam said at a briefing nearby. the cordoned off area.
At 1:00 p.m. local time Saturday, the government said about 3,000 people had been tested in the restricted area.
The restricted area has confirmed 162 confirmed cases of COVID-19 this month, and the percentage of virus detected in sewer samples from buildings there was higher than other areas.
Authorities in Hong Kong, one of the world’s most densely populated cities, have taken aggressive action to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Other current restrictions include a ban on in-house dining after 6pm and the closure of facilities such as gyms, sports venues, beauty salons and movie theaters.
Last week, the city extended homeworking for civil servants to January 27.
Hong Kong registered 81 new cases of coronavirus on Saturday, bringing the total number to 10,010. More than 160 people died. At the peak of the outbreak in July 2020, the highest daily number was 149 new infections.
Reporting by Clare Jim and Twinnie Siu; Adaptation by Anne Marie Roantree and Edwina Gibbs