Government officials prepare a mobile test unit outside a closed building in Hong Kong’s Kwun Tong neighborhood on Jan. 31.
Photographer: Paul Yeung / Bloomberg
Photographer: Paul Yeung / Bloomberg
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Hong Kong is threatening to tear down the doors of residents who fail to respond to authorities conducting mandatory test blitzes, as the city tries to end a persistent wave of coronavirus cases in winter.
“The government can take legal action, including removing individuals or asking a magistrate for a warrant to invade and forcibly enter a unit,” officials said in a statement on Tuesday.
The Asian financial center has been trying to contain a fourth wave of Covid-19 infections with targeted blockages that have seen authorities isolate an area and restrict movement until residents receive negative results. The government has suggested that some may be deliberately avoiding testing in areas ranging from densely populated neighborhoods to just a handful of buildings.
Hong Kong lifts second block in Kowloon for Covid tests
During surprise blockades in four Hong Kong districts on Monday night, about 17% of the 680 homes police officers visited did not answer the door, according to Bloomberg calculations. The government said it found no positive case after testing nearly 1,700 residents.
‘Ambush Style’
Hong Kong, a densely populated city of 7.5 million, has been relatively unscathed by the virus compared to other major financial centers. The city has seen less than 10,500 cases in total and only 182 deaths since the pandemic began.
But Hong Kong, which saw cases of the virus in early 2020, when it began to spread around the world, found more waves than many other places and is now facing a prolonged round of restrictions on social distance. Residents and business owners Looking anxiously for an end to a recession brought on by months of street protests followed by the pandemic, they are now having to endure what Chief Executive Carrie Lam called “ambush operations. “
Hong Kong officials have performed eight operations and tested about 10,000 people since January 23, but have only discovered a total of 14 positive cases of coronavirus. The last six mini-lockdowns have found no positive case.
Amid repeated criticism that the mini-lockdown tactic was not effective, Lam defended the government’s methods on Tuesday. She said they were just one preventive measure among many, and that the number of confirmed cases discovered was not the only measure of success.
Photographer: Paul Yeung / Bloomberg
“You can’t really measure the effectiveness of these operations by the number of cases identified,” Lam said at a weekly briefing ahead of a meeting of his advisory executive board. “I don’t think it’s a waste of resources.”
Beijing’s concern
These targeted testing blitzes should not replace other efforts to screen and test people across the transmission chain, said Leung Chi-chiu, former chairman of the Hong Kong Medical Association’s advisory committee on communicable diseases.
“Lockdowns for 12 hours and tests cannot detect incubating cases,” said Leung. “It is important to avoid giving a false sense of security. If this delays a new test for any resident with new symptoms, it could cause another embarrassing outbreak. “
In his comments on Tuesday, Lam said Chinese President Xi Jinping expressed concern about the current wave of infections in Hong Kong in a conference call last week.
“President Xi expressed concern and concern, and that is entirely reasonable,” said Lam. “I think the president is very concerned. He wants to support us. “
– With the help of Jinshan Hong and Jon Herskovitz
(Updates with new details.)