District 18 News
Written by: Huang Jinghong
2020-12-10 18:51
Last update date: 2020-12-10 18:52
The new crown epidemic continues to raging, with 112 new confirmed cases today (10th).
The Regent Gardens in Kowloon Bay has recently become the focus of the epidemic. In Block 6 alone, 7 residents have been diagnosed.
Professor Yuan Guoyong from the Department of Microbiology of the University of Hong Kong visited the site this morning and pointed out that Regent 6 has become an "epidemic area", and the virus transmission method is similar to that of Amoy Gardens in 2003, all due to the direct connection of the sewage and the drain It has caused people in the same unit to be infected with the virus.
Regent District Councillor Bi Tony criticized the government's slow response to the epidemic. "The problem of the throat is known all the way. SARS found that the throat is the same as the Amoy Garden." He urged residents to cooperate with the relevant authorities to evacuate and undergo testing as soon as possible.
Yuan Guoyong, Chair Professor of the Department of Microbiology, Hong Kong University, visited the Regent Garden this morning (10th).
(Photo by Luo Junhao)
Bitoni said that when Regent had the first confirmed case, he had immediately contacted the Department of Health, but the other party remained indifferent.
"At the time of the first single, it was suspected (it would be spread on a large scale in the housing estate), but the government realized it later."
He continued, because Regent’s pipe does not have a gas barrier, pouring bleach into the pipe will only flow directly into the pit, and it cannot act as a barrier.
He said that most residents are aware of this problem, but 17 years have passed since the SARS epidemic, and the citizens are slowly taking it lightly and responding with an attitude of "I know, I will fix it later."
After the SARS outbreak, Regent Gardens has found that the pipes are of the same type as Amoy Gardens, but only a few people have made improvements at their own expense.
(Photo by Luo Junhao)
Business owners lack motivation to modify pipes
Bitoni mentioned that in the early years of major housing estate maintenance, there was a project to repair the pipes, but some owners had already replaced the pipes at their own expense and were unwilling to put money in this project; and most owners lack the motivation to modify the pipes , And some new tenants moved in. They did not know the seriousness of the problem, so the situation did not improve.
"If someone is selfish, it's dangerous," Bitoni emphasized that the old things must be brought up again and again so that the residents have a proper sense of crisis.
The next step is to hand it over to the industry committee to discuss how to solve the pipe problem and prepare for the next wave of epidemics.
Regent District Councillor Bi Tony criticized the government for its slow response. "The problems of the throat are known all the way. SARS found that the throat is the same as the Amoy Gardens." (Photo/Photo by Tsang Kaixin)
Urge residents to obey the instructions of the authorities
Residents in Block 6 D of Regent Gardens are now evacuating; while residents of Block 4 and Block 18 D and E and all residents of Block 6 can go to the nearby badminton court for testing before 7:30 tonight .
Bitoni, who is not in Hong Kong, knows through the media that some residents are unwilling to leave and urges residents to obey the instructions of the relevant authorities to evacuate and undergo testing as soon as possible.
Yuan Guoyong suggested that citizens, if they smell peculiar smell coming from the toilets in their homes, they should immediately find a professional to inspect them. He also suggested that residents who encounter the same problem should wear a mask and turn on the exhaust fan to ventilate the toilet at home. They can join when flushing. Dishwashing liquid or soap can destroy the fat membrane of the virus, and the effect is better than adding disinfectant or bleach.
The Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors also launched the "Home Drainage System Maintenance Guide" at the beginning of this year to explain in depth the principles and maintenance of household drainage systems, and to help residents understand the design and condition of household drain pipes.
During the SARS period in 2003, there were a number of confirmed cases in Amoy Gardens, when more than 300 people were infected.
Block E has become the hardest hit area and residents need to be isolated.
A subsequent investigation report found that the source was a man living in Shenzhen. After contracting the virus in the Prince of Wales Hospital, he visited his brother living in Block E and used the toilet in the unit due to diarrhea. Later, his brother and his wife were both Infected with SARS virus.
The report also pointed out that each building in Amoy Gardens has multiple vertical sewage pipes to collect sewage from all floors and units in the same room.
These sewage pipes are connected to floor drains in toilets, bathrooms, etc., and the installations are equipped with U-shaped water traps, but they failed due to drying up at the time and failed to play a gas barrier function.
Because the feces contain the virus, the virus is spread through the sewers of the building.
New crown pneumonia | Residents of Regent 6 and one more D room are initially confirmed to be mandatory testing for 18 D and 4 E
【Coronavirus disease.
Photos] Residents in Room D of the 6 Epidemic Areas of Regent evacuated the stadium to change the inspection center
Regent’s recruiting unit dung canal used to refit the kitchen and toilet in rooms D and E. Relative surveyor: Advocate evacuation of room E
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