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Hong Kong Locks Down Building for Five Days to Curb Omicron

People wait outside a community testing center in Hong Kong, China. — People wait outside a community testing center in Hong Kong, China.
Photographer: Louise Delmontte/Bloomberg

By

Jinshan Hong and

January 21, 2022, 10:09 AM UTCUpdated onJanuary 21, 2022, 10:44 AM UTC

Hong Kong is locking down about 2,700 residents for five days, the first time it’s closed off an apartment building for more than 48 hours, in the hope of containing a superspreader event that has already led to at least 16 people testing positive for Covid.

The government will provide food and other supplies to residents during the lockdown, which began Friday night and runs through Wednesday, said Sophia Chan, Hong Kong’s Secretary for Food and Health. They will be tested every day.