Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam warned on Saturday that Kovid-19 infections were on the rise in the city’s congested residential area and that general cases were spreading due to outbreaks of pet hamsters.

As the authorities deal with the eruption of the omicron variant of the Kwai Chung in the northern part of the Kowloon Peninsula, Chief Executive Lam appealed to the people of Hong Kong to avoid gatherings before next week’s Lunar New Year.

“We are concerned that the exponential growth of cases we have seen in other parts of the world is now happening in Quai Chung,” Lam said.

With schools and gyms already closed, restaurants closing at 6pm and air travel to several major hubs being cut off or severely disrupted, Hong Kong’s “Zero Kovid” strategy of focusing on eradicating the disease is being tested.

Speaking after a meeting with health officials, Lam said there was “little chance” of lifting restrictions across the city on February 4 as planned.

They said the second apartment block in Quai Chung, home to more than 2,000 people, would be closed for five days. On Friday, authorities closed the first building in the area for five days after more than 20 cases were reported.

On Tuesday, authorities ordered the killing of 2,000 hamsters from dozens of pet stores following the outbreak. Coronavirus In one store worker, Kovid tested the 19-positive for 11 hamsters.

And cases involving, Lam said Delta variant This increases as the rat wheel explodes.

“I understand that pet owners are dissatisfied … the biggest public interest is controlling the epidemic,” Lam said.

Thousands of people have been promised the adoption of unwanted hamsters amid popular protests against the government and its pandemic advisers.