Covid Cases Flood In From Yau Tsim Mong District

Health officials said on Tuesday that more than half of the territory's latest coronavirus infections involve people living in the Yau Tsim Mong area of Kowloon.

There are 56 new coronavirus new infections, all but one locally acquired.

Thirty-one of the patients live in the Yau Tsim Mong district, along with many of the day's 60 or so preliminary positive cases.

The under secretary for health, Chui Tak-yi, said more than 13,000 residents living in Yau Ma Tei and Jordan have undergone Covid-19 tests due to the recent outbreaks in the areas.

He said authorities will further boost testing in a specific area, with 70 buildings to be placed under a mandatory testing order even if no infections have been found in them.

“After knowing the number of cases and the background more, for example, the [patients'] social behaviour, their occupation background and the building environment they’re living in, that is why we set up the specified area,” Chui said.

Testing will also be stepped up in Sham Shui Po. Residents living in an area bordered by Yen Chow Street, Tai Po Road, Maple Street and Lai Chi Kok Road will be ordered to get tested for Covid-19 if just one case is found in their housing blocks.

Meanwhile, more residents will be evacuated from a public housing block in Chai Wan after another confirmed infection there, as well as a preliminary positive case. More than a dozen residents in the building are now known to have contracted the virus.

Amid the community outbreaks, the government said that the social distancing rules that were due to expire on Thursday will be extended for another week.