Laguna City blocks latest to go into lockdown

The government on Sunday announced its third “ambush-style” lockdown in less than a week, requiring all residents of two blocks of Laguna City in Lam Tin to take a Covid-19 test.

Residents of Blocks 5 and 7 will need to take the coronavirus test by 2am on Monday morning, and officials hope they can complete the entire operation by 7am on Monday.

The government said that there had been 15 confirmed Covid-19 cases in the two blocks over the past fortnight.

It said it understands that around 1,200 residents had already been tested recently, but it wants another round done to “completely cut off transmission chains”.

Those who had done a test this past Friday to Sunday do not have to get tested again, it said, if they can provide proof that they tested negative.

But residents will still need to wait at home until everyone else in the blocks has been tested.

One resident wasn’t too happy about the lockdown.

“I find this to be a bit annoying, there’s not much I can do. Why? I just got tested a couple days ago, and it’s negative. I don’t know why I have to get tested again so quickly,” he told reporters, adding that some visitors to the blocks should have to stay for the night and get tested.

Another domestic helper said she’s doing her third test in recent days, but she’s fine with it because it’s for the safety of everybody.

Chief Secretary Matthew Cheung had earlier on Sunday said that more lockdowns would be coming soon, despite the mixed response to such exercises.

He said the government’s goal was to reduce the number of Covid-19 cases to zero, and government departments had been told to get ready to deploy quickly and at short notice.

Health chief Sophia Chan also defended the lockdowns, saying a “short period of inconvenience” could completely cut off transmissions in the community and allow commercial activities to resume.

Some medical experts have questioned the effectiveness of such lockdowns however, with the sealing off of areas in Yau Ma Tei and North Point uncovering just 14 Covid-19 infections from the 8,000 tests that were conducted.