Hong Kong plans to lift lockdown on densely populated area on Monday

Hong Kong plans to lift the COVID-19 lockdown that was imposed on one of its most densely populated districts on Monday, Chief Secretary Matthew Cheung Kin-chung informed on Sunday.

Chief Secretary Cheung said that the authorities are set to complete coronavirus screening this weekend on around 10,000 people living in the Yau Tsim Mong area, which was placed under quarantine on Saturday to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the South China Morning Post reported.

Stating that the preliminary results from the screening operation were expected by Sunday night, Cheung added: "If everything goes smoothly, we can lift the restrictions at 6 am on Monday so that people can go to work."

"This is an area where building management is less than satisfactory. That's what we are focusing on. Some buildings have no management at all. We have to improve this urban redevelopment. Urban renewal is needed," Cheung said, SCMP quoted.

He further said that officials have been visiting households in the restricted zone to send the occupants to mobile screening stations.

Amid the rising number of cases in Hong Kong, more than 700 people are currently hospitalised and 38 are in critical condition. So far, Hong Kong has registered more than 10,000 cases and 168 deaths.