Health workers wearing personal protective equipment move a man on a stretcher in a locked down apartment block while residents are tested for COVID-19 after the building's sewage samples tested positive, in Hong Kong on March 4, 2022. (DALE DE LA REY / AFP)

HONG KONG - The Hong Kong government said on Saturday that it has detected 971 preliminary positive COVID-19 cases in the compulsory testing exercises involving six buildings in Kowloon City, Sha Tin and Tseung Kwan O.

READ MORE: CE: Top priority for needy ensured

On Friday, the government set up "restricted areas" at Tak Shan House, Tak Kei House and Tak Cheung House of Tak Long Estate in Kowloon City, where a total of 4,806 people were tested and 741 preliminary positive cases were identified.

In the "restricted area" at Luk Chuen House of Lek Yuen Estate in Sha Tin, 210 out of 980 people preliminarily tested positive for COVID-19.

For the "restricted area" in Towers 1 and 2 of Twin Peaks in Tseung Kwan O, 840 people took the virus test and 20 of them were preliminary positive.

There were also 99 indeterminate cases in the five restricted areas, the government added.

ALSO READ: Enterprises, social groups give 150m yuan in relief aid to HK