Students of Yan Chai Hospital Wong Wah San Secondary School undergo temperature checks before entering the classrooms, in Tseung Kwun O, Hong Kong, Sept 23, 2020. (CALVIN NG / CHINA DAILY)

HONG KONG - Hong Kong will double the current in-school teaching capacity after the Lunar New Year holiday as the city logged 19 new coronavirus infections on Wednesday, the lowest daily caseload since Nov 20 last year.

In a press release issued in the evening, a spokesperson for the Education Bureau said it will allow up to one-third of a school’s student capacity to return to classes on a half-day basis after February’s Lunar New Year holiday, double the current capacity. 

Schools that can arrange for all teachers and staff to undergo regular virus testing once every two weeks will have the condition to fully resume half-day face-to-face classes, according to the Education Bureau

The latest announcement applies to all kindergartens, primary and secondary schools, including special schools, schools offering non-local curriculum and tutorial schools.

Schools that can arrange for all teachers and staff to undergo regular virus testing once every two weeks will have the condition to fully resume half-day face-to-face classes, according to the release. 

These schools will need to conduct and complete the tests within 14 days before the resumption of face-to-face classes and submit applications to the Education Bureau. 

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School campuses have been closed as the city battles the fourth wave of the coronavirus, which has led authorities to enact some of its strictest restrictions since the start of the pandemic.

3 buildings cordoned off

The announcement came as the government cordoned off three high-risk buildings on Wednesday evening to conduct compulsory testing for residents there.

The buildings involved were Tower 1 of Goodview Garden in Tuen Mun, May Wah House of Hing Wah (I) Estate in Chai Wan as well as Block D of Honour Building in To Kwa Wan.

Residents there are required to stay in their premises and undergo compulsory testing for COVID-19, according to a government press release. The government said it aimed to finish the operation on Thursday morning.

19 new cases reported

The city reported 19 new coronavirus infections on Wednesday, all locally transmitted, Chuang Shuk-kwan, head of the Centre for Health Protection’s communicable disease branch, said at a briefing.

One more worker at a Uniqlo store at Langham Place in Mong Kok was confirmed infected, bringing the cluster’s total to four

Seven of the new cases were untraceable, Chuang said, adding that there were around 20 preliminarily positive cases.

One more worker at a Uniqlo store at Langham Place in Mong Kok was confirmed infected, bringing the cluster’s total to four, Chuang said.

Chuang said the latest situation is not yet completely under control as each untraceable case can spread and cause a cluster infection.

The seven patients are a nurse at a clinic in Central, a housewife, an insurance agent, a kitchen worker, a domestic helper, a security guard and a student, according to Chuang.

The latest additions brought the city's overall coronavirus tally to 10,530.

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A 66-year-old man had died before his remains tested positive for the coronavirus, Chuang said. The patient was the city’s 185 coronavirus-related death.