The new measure will target two districts covering a small but densely populated part of the Kowloon Peninsula.
Hong Kong will put tens of thousands of its residents in a blockade to contain a new outbreak of the coronavirus, the first step the Chinese-ruled city has taken since the pandemic began, according to the South China Morning Post on Friday.
The Post, citing unidentified sources familiar with the situation, said the new measure would target the districts of Jordan and Sham Shui Po, which cover a small but densely populated part of the Kowloon Peninsula.
The districts are home to many old apartments that have been subdivided to make room for more people, providing the kind of conditions under which the virus could spread more easily.
“Persistently high and widespread infection [in the areas] and sewage surveillance suggests that the outbreak is not yet under control, and many silent sources still exist in the area, ”said a source quoted.
Health officials in the city of 7.5 million people first isolated four blocks of tenements in the area last Friday, preventing people from entering or leaving these buildings to ensure that all residents were quarantined.
The government will suspend the blocking declaration only when it is satisfied that everyone in the area has been tested, the newspaper said.
Gyms, closed cinemas
Hong Kong has reported far fewer infections than other major cities in the world, recording less than 10,000 cases last year. The death toll in the territory is 167.
On Thursday, health officials reported 70 cases, 63 of which were acquired locally, 16 of which were of unknown origin.
Last week, the city extended work from home to civil servants.
Other restrictions on COVID include banning meals in the house after 6 pm (10 am GMT) and closing facilities such as gyms, sports facilities, beauty salons and cinemas.
Health workers wear overalls against hazardous materials while residents of a neighborhood line up for a mandatory COVID-19 test after an increase in cases in Kowloon Jordan district. [Anthony Wallace/AFP]
Hong Kong will also require the flight crew to enter the territory for more than two hours and be quarantined in a hotel for two weeks.
In the meantime, authorities have ordered health professionals to refrain from socializing with others after four nurses from various hospitals tested positive or preliminarily positive for the virus, the Hong Kong Free Press reported.
“We would like to remind our colleagues not to eat together during work or vacation,” said Linda Yu, a senior health official, quoted by the news website.
“It is soon a Lunar New Year holiday, we hope that our colleagues can tolerate a little [longer] and maintain social distance. “