Covid-hit Laguna City Block Partially Evacuated

A partial evacuation has been ordered for Block 5 of Laguna City in Lam Tin after 10 residents and two security guards recently came down with Covid-19.

Top microbiologist Yuen Kwok-yung, who inspected the building on Monday, said one of the guards, who lives on Reclamation Street where a recent outbreak was reported, might have brought the coronavirus all the way from Yau Ma Tei to the building where he works.

But Yuen also said the virus could have been introduced when the family living in Flat E on the 16th floor held a gathering on January 9 and one of the guests was later found to have been infected.

Infections have also been reported from Flat E on the 15th and 17 floors – facing the same direction – and Yuen said there's evidence of "vertical transmission" of the virus.

He said all residents of Flat E are to be evacuated as a precaution.

Two other flats at the block have seen Covid cases as well, putting the total number of units affected to five so far.

"Although we did not see any obvious gross leakage from the drainage system, we feel that there's a need to evacuate the residents in order to protect them, because they may be now exposed to infected aerosol which might be going up by the chimney effect in the lightwells or in the pipes," Yuen explained.

He said the virus might have been transmitted through the drains to the other floors.

Yuen said there's no need to impose a lockdown on the building at this stage, but he noted that not all residents have complied with a mandatory testing order.

He said while there are more than 700 residents there, only a little more than 400 have been tested.

He said more extensive tests could have singled out additional cases in the block.

The government adviser added that the infections in Laguna City showed that the weekend lockdown in Yau Ma Tei and Jordan was necessary, because a small number of undetected cases could have spread the virus all over the city.

"It appears to us that there is a possibility of dual introduction of virus: one from a family gathering, the other from the Yau Ma Tei area. That is why it is important for us to make sure that the Yau Ma Tei outbreak is being completely contained by more stringent measures, with compulsory testing of all the people there within the two days of cordoning," Yuen said.

The government has come under fire for imposing the lockdown in Yau Ma Tei and Jordan.

"If you do it early, they say it's a nuisance. if you do it later, they say you are late. It's always like this. It's a delicate and difficult balancing exercise. If there's not a considerable number of cases, what grounds do you have for such an operation? But by the time everyone thinks it must be done, people may criticise you for acting too late," Yuen said.

"Trying to contain a pandemic is like walking a tightrope, it's not easy to find the balance," he said, as he asked people to be more understanding.