The SUN HK : ‘Ambush lockdown’ on in North Point housing block

By The SUN

The surprise lockdown of Tung Fat housing block will last until 7am Friday (Standard photo)

Residents of four buildings in a housing block in North Point were locked down without warning starting at 7pm tonight, Jan 28, as part of the government’s anti-epidemic measures. The lockdown of blocks A, B, C and D of Tung Fat building on Kam Ping Street will last for 12 hours.

Under the order issued by the government under Cap 599J of the Prevention and Control of Disease Regulation, everyone within the restricted area is required to remain in their premises and undergo compulsory testing, until the test results “are mostly ascertained.”

Pindutin para sa detalye

The order was issued after eight confirmed cases and five preliminary cases of Covid-19 were found on Wednesday in block C of Tung Fat building, involving different units and floors.

A microbiology expert who inspected the premises said the virus was likely transmitted through the narrow and confined stairwell shared by residents of the block.

PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE

All residents of units 6 and 7 of block numbering about 60, were evacuated and taken to a quarantine center.

Officials said they found it necessary to issue a compulsory testing order for all people in the restricted area “so as to break the transmission chain in the district and dispel the worries of residents in the district.”

CLICK FOR DETAILS

Temporary specimen collection stations were set up at the restricted area and required residents to undergo testing by 2am Friday. A door-to-door specimen collection for people with restricted mobility and the elderly was also arranged.

Chuang and Lau announce 39 new cases, a weekly low (RTHK photo)

The five preliminary cases from the housing block were among the 39 new Covid-19 cases reported today, which brought Hong Kong’s total tally to 10,322.

All but one of the cases were locally acquired, and 20 of these were of unknown sources.

PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE

The sole imported case from South Korea was found to carry either the British or the South African variant of the coronavirus, said to be several times more infectious than the usual strain.

Despite the marked decrease in the number of infections, Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan from the Centre for Health Protection said it was too early to say that the cases have eased.

Tunghayan ang isa na namang kwentong Dream Love

Chuang noted that the new cases were spread out in various districts.

"I look at the unlinked cases and their addresses. The cases are spread throughout the territory... they live in Lok Fu, Tai Kok Tsui, Ngau Tau Kok, Yuen Long, Tai Po, North District, Taikoo Shing and Central. So I think the cases are widespread in the community," she said.

The infectious disease expert also said residents of block 7 of Laguna City in Kwun Tong will have to undergo compulsory testing after three infections were found in two units of the building.

Pindutin para sa latest Winners!

But 25 environmental samples taken from block 5 of the same residential estate where 12 infections were previously recorded, all tested negative.

Two more deaths were reported, raising the city’s total death toll to 176.

Dr Lau Ka-hin from the Hospital Authority said one of the fatalities was a 47-year-old man who succumbed to the disease at 8:32am today at Kwong Wah Hospital.