Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor meets the press ahead of an Executive Council meeting in Hong Kong on Feb 2, 2021. (EDMOND TANG / CHINA DAILY)

HONG KONG - The Hong Kong government on Tuesday said it may take legal action against residents of “restricted areas” who do not reply when government personnel come knocking so that they could be tested for COVID-19.

In a statement issued on Tuesday morning, the government said it had reasons to believe that a number of residents of "restricted areas” did not answer the door when government personnel came to check their households.

In a statement issued on Tuesday morning, the government said that it had noticed that a number of residents of ‘restricted areas” did not answer the door when government personnel came to check their households

“The government may take legal action including removing individuals or applying to a magistrate for a warrant to break into and forcefully enter a unit,” the statement reads.

No resident was found to be infected in four pockets of Tsim Sha Tsui, Yuen Long, Kowloon City and Yau Ma Tei that were cordoned off overnight to test 265, 172, 260 and 1,006 residents in the respective locations, according to government statements. 

The exercise was wrapped up on Tuesday morning. There was no response from 120 households - no one answered the door.

The government said it would continue to restrict all persons from entering or leaving their premises “and arrange for security guards to be stationed if necessary.”

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The government added that it could also request bailiffs to assist in cordoning off the premises and ask “relevant persons to be responsible for the charges incurred.”

Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said the government’s “ambush-style” coronavirus testing drive is a precaution against possible community outbreaks even if no cases are identified in a particular area.

“In terms of public health, a lot of the work done is preventative. The purpose of doing compulsory tests and restrict testing ... we want to achieve zero case for the whole community,” Lam spoke to reporters before an Executive Council meeting on Tuesday morning.

 “We will continue to do this type of compulsory testing in order to identify any remaining silent transmissions in the community.”

READ MORE: Cheung stresses precise screening as HK logs 53 new cases

Lam also expressed her concerns about residents reluctant to come out for COVID-19 testing as this would undermine government efforts to stop the pandemic.

The authorities said a total of 20 people, incuding 16 in Yau Ma Tei, did not comply with mandatory testing orders during the overnight operations. Each of them were fined HK$5,000 (US$645) and issued a new testing order.