Hong Kong to set first lockdown in Kowloon area

A medical worker in a protective suit helps a resident to register outside at a residential area at Jordan where tens of thousands of its residents will be in Hong Kong, China on Friday (Jan 22, 2021). - Reuters

HONG KONG, Jan 22 (Bloomberg): Hong Kong is preparing to lock down thousands of residents in a bid to contain a worsening outbreak of the coronavirus, local media outlets reported Friday, citing unidentified people.

The lockdown is expected to begin this weekend, and involve 150 residential buildings in Yau Tsim Mong, the core urban district of Kowloon, the South China Morning Post said. It will affect between 4,000 and 9,000 residents, covering a mandatory testing area where aging buildings and subdivided flats populated by lower-income families are common.