Hong Kong locks down 10,000 people in Jordan area

By midnight, all residents will be tested in 48 hours. Since the start of January, 160 cases of SARS-CoV2 have been reported in the area. Residents protest the sudden decision. Police confine journalists to a hotel. A year ago, China declared a health emergency in Wuhan.

Hong Kong (AsiaNews) – Hong Kong authorities this morning locked down part of Jordan, an area on Kowloon peninsula, because of COVID-19.

The area’s residents, about 10,000 people, must stay at home and undergo mandatory testing. Since the start of January, more than 160 SARS-CoV2 cases have been reported in more than 50 local buildings.

The confinement measure started at 4 am and will remain in effect until all residents are tested. Testing must be carried out by midnight today in special centres.

Those unable to move will be tested at home. The administration will hand out food and other basic necessities to locked down residents.

Local houses can be inspected during isolation. People who do not live in Jordan but have spent more than two hours there in the past two weeks are also required to be tested.

Hong Kong authorities want to complete the entire operation in 48 hours, so as to allow people to return to work on Monday morning.

The sudden decision by the authorities sparked protests from residents, RTHK reported.

Tensions also occurred when police confined to a hotel journalists looking into the hike of cases, threatening to fine those who violated the order.

This is the first time since the pandemic broke out that the former British colony imposes a partial lockdown. So far, Hong Kong has reported nearly 10,000 cases with 168 deaths.

Jordan’s lockdown comes exactly one year after Chinese authorities (belatedly according to many observers) declared a health emergency in Wuhan (Hubei), considered ground zero of the pandemic crisis.

• hong kong
• china
• Jordan
• covid-19
• coronavirus
• sars-cov2
• pandemic
• wuhan
• hebei
• lockdown
• testing