HONG KONG (AP) – Thousands of Hong Kong residents were locked up in an unprecedented move on Saturday to contain a worsening outbreak in the city, authorities said.
Hong Kong has been struggling since November to contain a fresh wave of the coronavirus. More than 4,300 cases have been recorded in the past two months, accounting for nearly 40% of the city’s total.
Coronavirus cases in Hong Kong’s Yau Tsim Mong district – a suburb with old buildings and subdivided flats – represent half of the infections in the past week.
Sewage tests in the area have picked up more concentrated traces of the virus, raising concerns that poorly constructed plumbing systems and a lack of ventilation in subdivided units could potentially provide the spread of the virus.
Authorities said in a statement on Saturday that an area with 16 buildings in Yau Tsim Mong would be closed until all residents were tested. Residents may not leave their homes until they have received their test results to prevent cross-contamination.
“Persons subjected to compulsory tests should remain in their premises until all such persons identified in the area have been tested and the test results have mostly been determined,” the government said in a statement.
Hong Kong had previously avoided closures in the city during the pandemic, with leader Carrie Lam declaring in July last year that authorities would avoid such “extreme measures” unless they had no other choice.
The restrictions, which were announced in Hong Kong at 4pm, are expected to end within 48 hours, the government said.
It called on employers to exercise discretion and prevent them from paying the salaries of employees who are affected by the restrictions and may not be able to go to work.
Hong Kong spotted a total of 9,929 infections in the city, with 168 deaths recorded on Friday.