'Evacuation Arrangements Chaotic And Confusing'

An evacuation of a residential building in Tsuen Wan over a coronavirus scare on Wednesday sparked uproar among residents angry about what they said were chaotic and confusing arrangements.

More than 220 households in Block R of Allway Gardens were told they would be sent to a quarantine camp after a foreign domestic helper who lived there tested positive for a mutated strain of coronavirus.

Tsuen Wan district councillor Chiu Yan-loy said residents rushed to pack their bags as they were told they would be taken to an isolation facility on Lantau in the morning.

However, they were left waiting in their homes for hours with no updates from officials.

Chiu said some elderly people were very worried and scared, and one man even had to be taken to hospital after suffering an emotional breakdown.

“There was a man who repeatedly complained about why he was made to wait for a long time and nobody could tell him when he would be sent to the camp. He slid and rolled on the floor and he was angry at the government officials and police officers,” the district councillor said.

A resident surnamed Ho also questioned whether it was necessary to send all residents to the quarantine camp, saying people could be isolated in their homes instead.

The man said he runs his own business and won't be able to open his shop this month, adding that he may consider seeking compensation from the government.

The government said in a statement that the testing was finished shortly after midnight and all the results were negative.

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