Staff members of the Housing Department assist residents to register for testing at Tung Moon House, Tai Hang Tung Estate, 83 Tai Hang Tung Road, Sham Shui Po, Hong Kong, Jan 16, 2021. (PHOTO/HKSAR GOVERNMENT)

HONG KONG – The Hong Kong government on Wednesday evening cordoned off three buildings in Kwun Tong, Sham Shui Po and Kwai Chung after four COVID-19 cases with mutant strains were detected.

The Centre for Health Protection said in statements that restricted areas were set up at Tower 3, Grand Central, 33 Hip Wo Street, Kwun Tong; Fu Yuet House, Fu Cheong Estate, 19 Sai Chuen Road, Sham Shui Po; and Yat Kwai House, Kwai Chung Estate, Kwai Chung for overnight targeted testing operations.

The building in Kwun Tong was cordoned off after a 17-year-old student tested preliminarily positive for the coronavirus. The source of his infection was unknown

The building in Kwun Tong was cordoned off after a 17-year-old student tested preliminarily positive for the coronavirus. The source of his infection was unknown.  

The student studies at St. Joseph's Anglo-Chinese School in the same district. He had a fever on Jan 15 and sought medical treatment two days later when his sample tested preliminarily positive and carried the Delta mutant strain.

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On the other hand, the building in Kwai Chung was cordoned off after a confirmed COVID-19 case and a preliminary case were detected.

The confirmed case involved a 79-year-old man whose source of the infection remained unknown, while a Cathay Pacific outsourced worker living in the same block tested preliminarily positive. He works as a forklift driver at Cathay City. The CHP said the pair live on different floors and units. Authorities were investigating whether the two had ever met in a park outside the block.

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Meanwhile, the building in Sham Shui Po was cordoned off after a 12-year-old boy tested preliminary positive.

The government expected to finish the testing operations by 7 am Thursday.