By Vir B. Lumicao
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| Chief Secretary Matthew Cheung leads inspection of lockdown area |
Hong Kong authorities have let coronavirus-free residents go
in and out of the lockdown area in Jordan after testing more than
7,000 people there, as health officials reported 76 new cases today, Jan 24.
Four of them were Indonesian domestic helpers.
Home Affairs Secretary Caspar Tsui said in a press briefing
the lockdown declaration would be revoked this midnight to enable residents who
tested negative would be able to resume their normal activities.
“After 6pm today, that is now, we allow all those who have
taken the test, as long as the results are negative, and for those who are
wearing wristbands, these…residents can now go in and out of the restricted
area via designated exits to minimize the impact,” he said.
Tsui said the government will seriously follow up and
enhance the anti-epidemic campaign and officers will continue to work in the
restricted area.
He said those who were in the restricted area for two hours
in the past 14 days, even though they were outside the zone when the lockdown
was imposed at 4am on Saturday, must go for a test as soon as possible as a
responsible individual.
He warned those who violate the restriction and mandatory
testing declaration that they face a fine of $25,000 and six months in jail.
The government imposed the 48-hour lockdown in an area with
about 55 residential buildings in Jordan as it battled to control the
spread of Covid-19 among its residents.
Secretary for Food and Health, Prof Sofia Chan, said that as
of 3pm today, more than 7,000 residents had taken the compulsory test in 51 mobile
testing stations. She said more than 80 persons were tested in door-to-door sorties
in the restricted area.
Chan said the tests in the restricted area accounted for 13
positive cases today, or 0.17% of the positive rate. She said four cases came
from the same family and two came from another family. Seven other cases came
from other households.
Preliminary positive patients were sent to public hospitals
and contact tracing was under way, Chan said.
Answering a reporter’s query, Chan said the lockdown showed
that the government’s strategy of compulsory testing and testing within a small
area with the restriction of movement was very effective in identifying,
detecting and isolating the cases.
Chan did not rule imposing another lockdown where it is need
in future, saying this measure, as well as the issuance of compulsory testing
notice, are effective measures.
Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan from the Centre for Health Protection said
in an earlier media briefing the 76 new patients included 23 from Yau Tsim Mong,
11 of whom were from the Jordan restricted zone.
The new cases brought Hong Kong’s total Covid-19 tally to
10,085, health officials said.
Four of these were imported cases, and they were all Indonesian
female helpers, aged 23 to 34, one of whom arrived via Singapore on Jan 22.
Three others flew in on Jan 10 and tested positive on their 12th day
in quarantine.
Of the new cases, 27 had unknown origin and 45 were linked
to other cases, Chuang said.
Dr Linda Yu of the Hospital Authority said as of 9am today,
public hospitals received 77 positive cases in the past 24 hours, and
discharged a total of 9 034 patients with confirmed or probable infection.
A total of 775 confirmed patients are still in 24 public
hospitals and at the AsiaWorld community treatment facility. Among them, 35 are
in critical condition, 35 in serious condition and the remaining 705 in stable
condition.
Yu also announced the death of a 72-year-old male patient with
chronic illness who was admitted to Kwong
Wah Hospital
on Dec 24 last year after testing positive for Covid-19.
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| Police were highly visible in the lockdown area |
Earlier today, Chief Secretary for Administration Matthew
Cheung inspected the restricted area in Jordan.
Briefing reporters afterwards, Cheung replied to a query
that he was confident of lifting the restrictions by 6am tomorrow, based on the
on testing of residents in the area.
“We have confidence that we should be able to do it (ending
the lockdown) because we have already done screening for 7,000 people yesterday
in terms of testing,” Cheung said.
