Evacuation, Lockdown At Wong Tai Sin Block

The government on Thursday evacuated a group of residents of a Wong Tai Sin public housing block and extended its lockdown after the emergence of more than 20 Covid cases there.

Officials suspected the source of the outbreak at Cheung Bor House of Choi Wan (I) Estate is a security guard who tested positive for the virus on Monday.

The guard, who lives in Tropicana Gardens in Wong Tai Sin, was infected with the Delta variant.

Officials said one of his family members, who is also a confirmed case, had a hamster.

Four residents of Cheung Bor House had tested positive for the virus before an overnight lockdown of the building found 18 preliminary-positive cases.

They live in unit 7 on four different floors, as well as unit 11 on three separate floors.

And on the 16th floor, four units were affected.

Microbiologist Yuen Kwok-yung from the University of Hong Kong said after he inspected the building that both vertical and horizontal transmissions of the virus had taken place.

He said residents living at unit 7 and unit 11, as well as some residents on the 16th floor, will be sent to the Penny's Bay Quarantine Centre.

All other residents will be put under home quarantine for mass testing again.

Yuen was asked if the lockdown at Cheung Bor House should be longer than that in Kwai Chung Estate because the outbreak involved the Delta variant.

"Although the incubation of the Delta variant is longer, the difference is not that big. We will test the residents daily. The result will tell us whether the lockdown should be longer but we don't know yet," he said.

Cheung Bor House has been placed under lockdown since Wednesday evening.

DAB lawmaker Frankie Ngan said as of noon, close to 50 residents had contacted him for help, with some expressing concern that the lockdown will affect their livelihoods.

Ngan urged authorities to provide assistance to residents, such as providing meals to them and giving subsidies to affected workers.

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