Government workers wearing personal protective equipment gather as police cordon off a "restricted area" in Yau Ma Tei on Jan 26, 2021. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

HONG KONG - The Hong Kong government on Tuesday night cordoned off 12 buildings in Yau Ma Tei and required their residents to undergo COVID-19 testing, as the city logged 64 new virus cases.

The government also announced that it was extending social distancing rules for another week until Feb 3.

In a statement issued on Tuesday evening, the government said it set up at 7 pm a "restricted area" along 9-27 Pitt Street and 3 Tung On Street and required residents to stay in their premises. It added that movement restrictions would be lifted by around 6 am on Wednesday. 

The government set up temporary specimen collection stations in the restricted area and also required  persons who had already undergone COVID-19 tests, including those under compulsory testing notices, to have themselves tested again.

Persons who had already undergone COVID-19 tests, including those under compulsory testing notices, were also required to have themselves tested again

"The government has issued compulsory testing notices in respect of 15-27 Pitt Street and 3 Tung On Street. However, outbreaks in the area remained severe,” a government spokesman was quoted as saying in the statement.

He said more than 40 confirmed cases were recorded in three buildings from Jan 11 to 25 and the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) had to evacuate some residents living "within the restricted area" along Pitt Street to a quarantine centre. 

“Residents are worried of the situation," the spokesman said. "We are aware that those buildings in the 'restricted area' are relatively old and lack of maintenance". 

The spokesman said sub-divided units are common and the infection risk is "quite high" while sewage samples found "in the relevant buildings also tested positive".

“After risk assessment, we think it is necessary to issue a restriction-testing declaration for the 'restricted area' to break the transmission chain in the district and dispel the worries of residents," he added.

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Meanwhile, the anti-coronavirus measures to be extended include a ban on dine-in services at restaurants after 6 pm, a two-person cap on public gatherings, and the closure of an array of leisure venues.

Undersecretary for Food and Health Chui Tak-yi said 36 percent of the new patients over the past two weeks were found asymptomatic, highlighting silent transmission risks in the community

The move came as 36 percent of the new patients over the past two weeks were found asymptomatic, highlighting silent transmission risks in the community, Undersecretary for Food and Health Chui Tak-yi said at a briefing.

From Jan 19 to 25, Hong Kong saw 469 local cases, 41 percent untraceable, with both figures rising from the previous week’s 365 and 32 percent, respectively, Chui said.

Health authorities continued toughening mandatory testing requirements for residential buildings for pockets in Kowloon, where all residents will now be issued notices to take the test even when a single case is found at any building or if sewage samples from buildings there continuously test positive for the virus.

The new policy will apply to Mong Kok, Yau Ma Tei and in Hung Hom, as well as a swath of Jordan part of which had been cordoned off over the weekend, Chui said.

Of Tuesday’s new infections, 21 were untraceable, Chuang Shuk-kwan, head of the CHP’s communicable disease branch, said at the same briefing.

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The city’s total number of confirmed infections rose to 10,222, with 172 related deaths.

The latest two fatalities involved two chronically ill female patients. One, aged 86, died on Monday night and the other, aged 90, passed away on Tuesday afternoon, Hospital Authority’s Chief Manager Lau Ka-hin said.