Lockdowns are important in Covid-19 battle: expert

Infectious disease expert Yuen Kwok-yung on Friday expressed support for the government’s ambush-style lockdowns, even though they’ve identified only a handful of Covid-19 cases.

Yuen, who’s a government advisor on the pandemic, said some people might not be impressed to see 1,000 tests conducted during the lockdowns, but only one Covid-19 case uncovered.

“The cost-effectiveness – even one out of 1,000 – is actually quite important when the number of cases in the community per day is low,” said Yuen, a microbiologist with the University of Hong Kong.

“Of course when the cases are very high – 120 per day – then one in 1,000 is not that cost-effective…. we call this the law of diminishing returns.”

A private estate in Yuen Long and a public housing block in Ma On Shan were put on lockdown on Friday evening, the latest residential buildings to be sealed off in the government’s ambush-style operations aimed at stopping the spread of the coronavirus.

The lockdown order for both blocks of Fu Loy Garden on Ma Wang Road in Yuen Long took effect at 7pm. Residents inside the restricted zone will have to get tested by 2am unless they’ve already done so between Wednesday and Friday and have proof that they’re virus-free.

In Ma On Shan, Heng Kong House in Heng On Estate was sealed off from 7:35pm. Residents who tested negative from Tuesday to Friday won’t have to be tested again.

Yuen also backed the government’s plan to allow children to go back to school after Chinese New Year — if all teachers get tested regularly, but stressed that students shouldn’t be eating in school.

“For schools, I think the most important [thing] is don’t allow the students to take off their masks. I always say that they should not have any food in school. They can drink behind the mask with a straw. That is actually the most important thing,” Yuen said.

He said it was “very undesirable” for students to take off their masks and eat together.

Hong Kong on Friday reported 37 new coronavirus cases, nine of which could not be traced.