A temporary truce has been called ahead of the Lunar New Year long weekend after weeks of ambush-style tactics by health workers to fight the spread of the coronavirus by enforcing lockdowns, Hong Kong's government said Tuesday.
"[The approach] has been effective," city chief executive Carrie Lam said Tuesday. "But having regard for the importance Hong Kong people attach to Chinese New Year, [...] we will end the operation tomorrow."
More than 10,000 health workers and police officers have been deployed in 25 such operations. Residents are given no notice and people trapped in the area are forced to shelter in place until the order is lifted.
Everyone in the lockdown zone is tested for COVID-19. While these operations are carried out "as expeditiously as possible to reduce disruption" according to Lam, the efficiency and usefulness of the measure has been questioned.
The two most recent lockdowns in Mong Kok and Hung Hom between Sunday and Monday uncovered no new infections. Lam's visit to the area was cut short by demonstrations by residents and district councillors in protest.
On Hong Kong island, an entire high school community is being quarantined and tested after two students attended an examination while infected.
"Even though they have mild symptoms, they may still pose a risk of transmission, and may use some common facilities such as toilets," said the Centre for Health Protection's Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan about the infected pupils.
Wednesday marks the eve of the Lunar New Year holiday, which is celebrated throughout the greater China region and Southeast Asia as well as diaspora communities around the world.
The occasion usually involves large family gatherings and mass congregations at temples, two activities that pandemic control authorities are trying to discourage.
"I hope people will continue to avoid going out or taking part in family gatherings," Lam said. "They should remain vigilant about personal hygiene, and I hope that after the Lunar New Year holiday, we can gradually return to our normal lives."
But for many in Hong Kong, the truce is temporary. Construction workers across Hong Kong will also be required to take mandatory tests after another person at a project near the airport was infected, bringing the total to 29 at that work site.
The government is hoping to test all 200,000 of the city's construction workers by the end of February, an effort for the most part embraced by the Construction Site Workers General Union.
