Thousands of Hongkongers locked down as coronavirus cases surge

A police officer stands guard at the Yau Ma Tei area in Hong Kong (Vincent Yu/AP)

Thousands of Hong Kong residents were locked down on Saturday in an unprecedented move to contain a worsening outbreak in the city, authorities said.

Hong Kong has been grappling to contain a fresh wave of the coronavirus since November. More than 4,300 cases have been recorded in the last two months, making up nearly 40% of the city’s total.