COVID-19 testing in locked down area of Hong Kong

Approximately 3,000 people in a locked-down Hong Kong neighbourhood were tested for the coronavirus on Saturday morning, the Hong Kong government announced.

Thousands of Hong Kong residents have been locked down in an unprecedented move by the government to contain a worsening outbreak in the city, authorities said Saturday.

Government workers aim to complete the testing of all the residents of the "restricted" area in Jordan, part of Kowloon, by the end of Saturday, and process all the test results by Monday morning.Hong Kong has been grappling to contain a fourth wave of the coronavirus, which began in November.Over 4,300 cases have been recorded in the last two months, making up nearly 40% of the city's total infections.

Coronavirus infections in Hong Kong's Yau Tsim Mong district –a working-class neighborhood with old buildings and subdivided flats – made up about half of the city's new cases in the past week.Sewage testing in the affected area picked up more concentrated traces of the COVID-19 virus, prompting concerns that poorly-built plumbing systems and a lack of ventilation in subdivided units may present a possible path for the virus to spread.

Authorities said in a statement Saturday that an area comprising 16 buildings in Yau Tsim Mong will be locked down until all residents have undergone tests.

Residents will not be allowed to leave their homes until they have received their test results to prevent cross-infection.

Hong Kong has previously avoided lockdowns in the city during the pandemic, with leader Carrie Lam stating in July last year that authorities will avoid taking such "extreme measures" unless there was no other choice.

The restrictions, which were announced at 4 a.m. in Hong Kong, are expected to end within 48 hours, the government said.

Hong Kong has seen a total of 9,929 infections in the city, with 168 deaths recorded as of Friday.