(To watch the full media session with sign language interpretation, click here.)

Secretary for Food & Health Prof Sophia Chan announced a five-day lockdown operation at Yat Kwai House in Kwai Chung Estate starting this evening.

About 2,700 residents must stay at home and get tested daily until the morning of January 26.

Prof Chan explained at a media session this evening that there are more than 20 COVID-19 cases linked to Yat Kwai House and that a superspreader had visited the building.

“The reason why this is a five-day operation is mainly because we have identified some COVID-19 cases in Yat Kwai House at Kwai Chung Estate. We have also identified a superspreader that had been going around the building. Therefore, there could be some cases that are in their incubation period during this time who are living in the building. This is our suspicion.”

She also hoped more linked cases could be detected in the operation to prevent the virus from spreading further.

“It is prudent to have this operation whereby we restrict the residents’ movements and require them to have compulsory testing in the next few days so that if there are cases, we can find out immediately to attain early detection, early identification and early isolation.”

Prof Chan called on the building's residents to co-operate, adding that daily meals and mobile testing have been arranged during the lockdown.

“I strongly appeal to the relevant people who are now perhaps still at work or going home tonight to go home like they normally would.

“The Housing Department will organise a number of supportive operations like meal delivery and so on. But at the same time, we will also be setting up a mobile testing station near the building so people can, in an orderly manner come down to the mobile testing station to get their compulsory testing done.”