HONG KONG (Reuters) – The Hong Kong government blocked an area of the Kowloon peninsula on Saturday after an outbreak of the new coronavirus, saying 10,000 residents should stay home until they are tested and the results largely determined.
The city’s first step since the pandemic began was in Jordan’s densely populated neighborhoods, where many old, subdivided apartments live in which the virus can spread more easily.
The government reported that there are 70 buildings in the restricted area, which is close to the International Trade Center (ICC), and intends to complete the process in about 48 hours, so that people can return to work on Monday.
Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said 50 makeshift test points had been set up and 3,000 civil servants were helping.
“We are also doing this to allay the concerns of the residents, because it was said that this is an epidemic area and that it affected people’s lives, psychology and business here,” Lam said at a news conference near the isolated area.
At 1 pm (local time) on Saturday, the government said about 3,000 people were tested in the restricted area.
The restricted area confirmed 162 confirmed cases of COVID-19 this month, and the proportion of viruses detected in building sewage samples was higher than in other areas.
The authorities in Hong Kong, one of the most populous cities in the world, have taken aggressive steps to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Other current restrictions include a ban on on-site dining after 6 pm and the closure of facilities such as gyms, sports facilities, beauty salons and cinemas.
Last week, the city extended domestic arrangements to government officials until 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 to the city in July 2020, the highest daily count was 149 new infections.
Reporting by Clare Jim and Twinnie Siu; Edition by Anne Marie Roantree and Edwina Gibbs