A government staff member collects samples through combined nasal and throat swabs from a resident of Tower 16, Crystal Cove, Caribbean Coast Phase 4, 1 Kin Tung Road, Tung Chung on Jan 30, 2022. (PHOTO / HKSAR GOVERNMENT)

HONG KONG - No new positive COVID-19 cases were found after government staff members tested nearly 3,000 residents of Tung Chung and Kwai Chung on Saturday night.

The government set up “restricted areas” at 8 pm on Saturday in Tower 16, Crystal Cove, Caribbean Coast Phase 4, 1 Kin Tung Road, Tung Chung and Fu Wing House and Fu Wah House, Tai Wo Hau Estate, Kwai Chung. 

The buildings were were cordoned off after several residents of both areas tested preliminarily positive for COVID-19 variants

The buildings were were cordoned off after several residents of both areas tested preliminarily positive for COVID-19 variants.

During the overnight targeted testing operation, 1,949 persons were tested in Kwai Chung while 890 people underwent tests in Tung Chung, but no new infections were found. The operation in Tung Chung ended by 9 am Sunday.

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Meanwhile, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department said that most local pet shops selling hamsters may resume business starting Sunday after they were thoroughly disinfected and their animals tested negative for COVID-19. 

The AFCD said in a statement that it took 1,134 samples from animals other than hamsters, including rabbits, chinchillas and others, and all were confirmed negative for the coronavirus.

“Test results of all the animal samples are confirmed negative. However, the 'Little Boss' pet shop in Jardine's Bazaar, Causeway Bay, has not yet been thoroughly disinfected and cleaned,” the statement reads.

Some of the environmental swabs taken from I Love Rabbit pet shop in Lee Garden Road, Causeway Bay; Little Boss pet shop in Tung Choi Street, Mong Kok and I Love Rabbit in Kau Yuk Road, Yuen Long have not passed the virus test, it added. 

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The AFCD also said that Another I Love Rabbit pet shop in Tung Choi Street is still under the investigation by the Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health. 

“All the other concerned pet shops, on the other hand, have been thoroughly disinfected and cleaned and the environmental swabs collected from these shops have all passed the COVID-19 virus test,” an AFCD spokesman was quoted as saying in the statement.