HONG KONG (Reuters) – The Hong Kong government closed an area of the Kowloon Peninsula on Saturday after the new coronavirus broke out, saying 10,000 people should stay home until they are tested and the results are largely determined.
The first such move by the city since the pandemic began took place in Jordan’s densely populated neighborhoods, which are home to many old, subdivided apartments where the virus could spread more easily.
The government said there are 70 buildings in the restricted area, which is close to the International Trade Center (ICC) and aims to complete the process in about 48 hours so that people can start returning to work on Monday.
Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said 50 makeshift test points had been set up and that 3,000 civil servants were assisting.
“We are also doing this to dispel the concerns of residents, because it has been said that this is an epidemic area and that it has affected the lives, psychology and business of the people here,” Lam said in a briefing near the surrounding area.
By 13:00 (05:00 GMT) local time on Saturday, the government said about 3,000 people had been tested in the restricted area.
The restricted area confirmed 162 confirmed cases of COVID-19 this month, and the ratio of virus detected in sewerage samples in buildings was higher than in other areas.
Authorities in Hong Kong, one of the most densely populated cities in the world, have taken aggressive action to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Other current restrictions include a ban on indoor dining after 18:00 and the closure of facilities such as gyms, sports venues, beauty salons and cinemas.
Last week, the city extended work from home arrangements for civil servants until January 27.
Hong Kong registered 81 new cases of coronavirus on Saturday, bringing the total to 10,010. More than 160 people died. At the peak of the outbreak for the city in July 2020, the highest daily number was 149 new infections.
Reporting by Clare Jim and Twinnie Siu; Editing by Anne Marie Roantree and Edwina Gibbs