HONG KONG (AP) – Thousands of Hong Kong residents were arrested on Saturday in an unprecedented move to curb the worsening of an outbreak in the city, officials said.
Hong Kong has been struggling to contain a new wave of coronavirus since November. More than 4,300 cases have been reported in the past two months, representing almost 40% of the city’s total.
Coronavirus cases in Hong Kong’s Yau Tsim Mong district – a working-class neighborhood with old buildings and subdivided apartments – accounted for about half of infections last week.
Sewage tests in the area detected more concentrated traces of the virus, raising concerns that poorly constructed plumbing systems and a lack of ventilation in subdivided units may represent a possible path for the spread of the virus.
Authorities said in a statement on Saturday that an area of 16 buildings in Yau Tsim Mong will be closed until all residents have been tested. Residents will not be able to leave their homes until they receive test results to prevent cross-infection.
“People subject to mandatory testing are required to remain on their premises until all persons identified in the area have undergone the test and the results of the tests are mostly verified,” the government said in a statement.
Hong Kong had already avoided blockades in the city during the pandemic, with leader Carrie Lam declaring in July last year that the authorities would avoid taking such “extreme measures” unless they had no other choice.
The restrictions, which were announced at 4 am in Hong Kong, are expected to end within 48 hours, the government said.
He called on employers to exercise discretion and avoid reducing the wages of employees who were affected by the restrictions and may not be able to work.
Hong Kong registered a total of 9,929 infections in the city, with 168 deaths registered as of Friday.