China News Agency, Hong Kong, January 22 (Reporter Wei Huadu) The new crown pneumonia epidemic occurred in Hong Kong. Recently, there has been a community outbreak in Kwai Chung Village. The SAR government has taken measures to enclose and test the Yat Kui Building.

Xu Shuchang, an expert advisor to the SAR government and a professor of respiratory system at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, said in an interview with a reporter from China News Agency on the 22nd that the median incubation period of the Omikron virus is 3 days, so the "5-day lockdown order" for the enclosure testing operation "It can effectively identify cases of infection while preventing the virus from flowing into the community.

　　There was a confirmed case in Yikui Building on the 19th, and it was quarantined that night. As the number of cases continued to increase, SAR government departments and experts inspected Yikui Building on the evening of the 20th and believed that the process of virus transmission did not involve building structures and air flow. or throat problems, so residents were not evacuated to quarantine centres.

　　As of the 21st, at least 20 confirmed or preliminary positive cases have been recorded in Yikui Building, involving super transmission. The SAR government has decided to take stricter measures, requiring about 2,700 residents in the building to be tested from the same day to the 25th and not allowed to go out. In order to cut off the invisible transmission chain as soon as possible to avoid the further spread of the virus.

　　Xu Shuchang said that it would be more ideal to implement the above-mentioned "5-day foot ban" earlier, because after the first confirmed case was found in Yikui Building, some residents could still come and go freely, and there was a chance to spread the virus.

After the announcement of the "5-day foot ban", a large number of residents went out to buy food before closing buildings. He suggested that the relevant departments of the SAR government should coordinate their manpower to avoid similar situations.

If sufficient quarantine facilities are available, all residents can be relocated to quarantine centers.

　　Hong Kong's first community "foot-limit order" was implemented in January last year. The SAR government listed more than 50 buildings in Jordan as "restricted areas" for two days.

The enclosure of Yikui Tower this time is the first time that the number of enclosure days has been increased to 5 days.

　　Xu Shuchang said that the Omicron virus is more transmissible than other variants of the virus, and the median incubation period is 3 days. Under normal circumstances, infected people will become ill within 5 days, so it is reasonable to place the "foot restraint order" for 5 days. Effectively prevent the virus from flowing into the community, and be able to identify the second-generation transmission of the virus, helping to identify more infected cases, "because it cannot be ruled out that some people test negative for the first time and positive for the second time."

　　Xu Shuchang believes that the anti-epidemic department will immediately send each positive case to the hospital for isolation, so the chance of finding a positive case after 5 days is not high.

　　In addition to Yikui Building, there were also cases in the neighboring Yingkui Building, which were sealed off for forced inspection from 4:00 a.m. on the 22nd.

In the evening, the SAR government announced that there were 105 cases in Kwai Chung Village, of which Ying Kui Building will be closed for 5 days from now on, while Qian Kui Building, Xiao Kui Building, Xu Kui Building and Ya Kui Building in the same village will be closed that night. Strong inspection.

　　There are currently two variants of Omicron and Delta viruses in the Hong Kong community, of which the Omicron virus was introduced by the crew earlier.

Xu Shuchang believes that the crew members should be placed in quarantine centers in the future. "The living environment in Hong Kong is too cramped for home quarantine."

　　Xu Shuchang said that there may be multiple invisible transmission chains in the community at present. In addition to injecting the new crown vaccine, it is recommended that citizens avoid attending large gatherings during the Lunar New Year, and wear a mask when going out. If you have a thin face, you can add an extra cloth mask to the outer layer.

He does not expect Hong Kong's chances of relaxing social distancing measures on the fourth day of the Lunar New Year.

(Finish)