Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam defends 'ambush lockdowns', says they were 'well worth'

After conducting surprise mandatory COVID-19 tests that uncovered no new cases, Hong Kong’s leader Carrie Lam on February 2 defended her administration’s use of “ambush lockdown”. According to Bloomberg, Hong Kong government’s new tactic involves authorities giving no warning of an impending lockdown, sealing off buildings where cases are detected and then ensuring everyone inside is tested, usually overnight. On Monday, the officials had cordoned off designated areas in four densely populated districts and conducted about 1,700 tests. However, the authorities found zero new infections. 

As several citizens complained that the new lockdown tactic hasn’t been effective, Lam defended the government’s method and said that they were just one preventive measure among many. She said that the one can’t really measure the effectiveness of these operations by the number of cases identified. Lam added that the “ambush lockdowns” were “not a waste of manpower and money but instead well worth”. She also said that the efficacy does not only concern the recovery rate but also the prevention of the disease. 

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HK threatens to knock down doors to force tests 

Amid a surge in coronavirus infections, Hong Kong’s government is taking a much more proactive approach to testing similar to tactics used on the authoritarian mainland. On Tuesday, the government even threatened to knock down the doors of residents who don’t respond to authorities conducting mandatory-testing blitzes. The officials said that the government may take “legal action” including removing individuals or applying to a magistrate for a warrant to break into and forcefully enter a unit. 

Hong Kong has been attempting to curb the fourth wave of coronavirus infections with the targeted lockdown. The Asian financial hub has seen authorities cordoning off an area and restricting movement until residents receive negative results. The government has even suggested that some might be deliberately evading the tests in areas that range from densely packed neighbourhoods to just a handful of buildings. 

Lam’s de facto deputy Mathew Cheung has also said that officials would use “wider and more frequent” lockdowns as the city is heading into the Chinese New Year holidays next week. It is worth noting that Hong Kong was one of the first places to be struck by the coronavirus after China. The city has recorded nearly 10,500 infections with about 170 deaths by imposing effective but economically ruinous social distancing measures for much of the last year. 

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