A man wearing a face mask to protect against the spread of the coronavirus, carries a pot of Phalaenopsis orchids at one of Hong Kong's largest orchid farms located at Hong Kong's rural New Territories on Jan 14, 2021. (KIN CHUNG / AP)
HONG KONG – The Hong Kong government cordoned off areas in Yau Ma Tei and Mong Kok on Thursday evening to conduct targeted testing for COVID-19 as the city reported 22 new virus cases.
In separate statements, the government urged residents inside the restricted areas to get tested and remain in their premises until the testing operation was over. The government added that it expected to lift movement restrictions in both areas by 7 am Friday.
The government urged residents inside the restricted areas to get tested and remain in their premises until the testing operation was over. The government added that it expected to lift movement restrictions in both areas by 7 am Friday
The government set up at 7 pm a restricted area in Yau Ma Tei which was bounded by Dunday Street to the north, Canton Road to the east, Pitt Street to the south, and buildings along Tung On, Pitt, and Lee Yip streets to the west.
An hour later, government personnel cordoned off Mandarin Court at 647-651 Shanghai Street in Mong Kok.
Any person who had stayed in the buildings inside the “restricted area” for more than two hours from January 22 to February 4, 2021, even if they were not present when restrictions were imposed on Thursday evening, must undergo compulsory testing by February 6.
Meanwhile, Thursday's new coronavirus cases included 19 local infections, raising the city’s overall tally to 10,552.
The three imported cases were from Nepal, Russia and Brazil, Albert Au, principal medical and health officer of the Centre for Health Protection’s communicable disease branch, said at a briefing.
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He added that 10 of the 19 local cases were untraceable while more than 30 people tested preliminarily positive for the coronavirus.
The city recorded 685 local infections over the past two weeks, including 253 that were of unknown origin, Undersecretary for Food and Health Chui Tak-yi said at the same briefing citing records.
Since the city’s fourth wave of outbreaks began in mid-November, more than 3 million tests had been conducted, said Chui, who “strongly appealed” to members of the public to reduce the number of gatherings over the upcoming Chinese New Year holidays.
This map shows the area of the "restricted area" in Yau Ma Tei, Hong Kong, announced by the Hong Kong government on Feb 4, 2021. (SOURCE: HKSAR GOVERNMENT)
A 67-year-old man, who was first hospitalized on Nov 23 last year, died from COVID-19 on Thursday morning, the Hospital Authority said in a statement. He was the city’s 186th coronavirus-related fatality.
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The untraceable cases led to eight residential buildings across Kowloon and the New Territories being placed under mandatory testing orders.
Au said the preliminary cases included that of a housewife at Goodview Garden Tower 1 in Tuen Mun, whose infection was discovered by the government’s overnight testing operation there.