The new measure is aimed at two districts that cover a small but densely populated part of the Kowloon Peninsula.
Hong Kong will put tens of thousands of its residents in a locker room to contain a new outbreak of the coronavirus, which according to the South China Morning Post on Friday is the first measure the Chinese-ruled city has launched since the pandemic .
The Post, citing unnamed sources familiar with the situation, said the new measure would cover the Jordan and Sham Shui Po districts, which cover a small but densely populated part of the Kowloon Peninsula.
The districts house much older apartments that are subdivided to make room for more people, providing the kind of conditions in which the virus can spread more easily.
‘Persistently high and spreading infection [in the areas] and the monitoring of sewage indicates that the outbreak is not yet under control, and that there are still many quiet springs in the area, ”said a source.
7.5 million city health authorities first isolated four apartment blocks in the area last Friday, preventing people from entering or leaving those buildings to make sure all residents are quarantined.
The government will only lift the declaration of closure when they are satisfied that everyone in the area has been tested, the newspaper said.
Gymnasiums, theaters closed
Hong Kong has so far reported far fewer infections than other major world cities, and has recorded fewer than 10,000 cases in the past year. The death toll from the area is 167.
On Thursday, health officials reported 70 cases, 63 of which were obtained locally, 16 of which are of unknown origin.
Last week, the city expanded the arrangements for government officials from home.
Other COVID restrictions include a ban on dining after 18:00 (10:00 GMT) and the closure of facilities such as gyms, sports halls, beauty salons and cinemas.
Health workers wear dangerous costumes as residents of a neighborhood drive for a mandatory COVID-19 test following an increase in cases in Jordan’s Kowloon district. [Anthony Wallace/AFP]
Hong Kong is also going to require flight personnel to enter the area for more than two hours to sit in a quarantined hotel for two weeks.
Meanwhile, officials have ordered medical workers not to interact with others after four nurses from different hospitals tested positive or tentatively positive for the virus, the Hong Kong Free Press reports.
“We want to remind our colleagues not to eat together during work or vacation,” Linda Yu, a senior health official, was quoted as saying by the news website.
‘It’s soon moon-new year holiday. We hope our colleagues can tolerate a little [longer] and maintain social distance. ”