Nearly 3,000 residents at a Hong Kong housing estate will be confined to their homes for five days, authorities announced, as they struggle to halt an outbreak of the Omicron coronavirus variant.
The lengthy lockdown order - reminiscent of those used on the Chinese mainland - comes as Hong Kong tacks harder to Beijing's "zero-Covid" policy.
At least 20 confirmed or preliminary positive cases were found in a public housing block in the Kwai Chung neighbourhood, said health chief Sophia Chan. "Clearly there is a community outbreak and the situation is worrying," Ms Chan told reporters.
A security guard, cleaner and multiple residents living in non-adjacent flats have been infected, with the source thought to be a man who visited the building on 13 January. "These infection clusters involve superspreading and are of extremely high risk," Ms Chan added.