HONG KONG - The Hong Kong government has arranged free coronavirus testing for all residents of a public residential building in Kwai Tsing district where a dozen confirmed cases have been reported.

The government has arranged delivery of food packs by Yan Chai Hospital Social Services Department to the elderly living at the block to facilitate them to stay home

A new coronavirus cluster was identified at Block 8 of Kwai Shing West Estate in the New Territories after 12 confirmed cases involving five families on the fifth floor of the building were reported between Nov 18 and Sunday.

READ MORE: Hong Kong tech firms pitch in to fight COVID-19

"So far there are five units on the same floor with confirmed cases amounting to a total of 12 cases. Because they are family members, it is likely that some of the patients of the cases acquired the infections from their family members," said Albert Au, Principal Medical and Health Officer of the Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health in a briefing on Sunday.

"In view of the situation, we will distribute specimen bottles to and arrange testing for all the residents of this building."

"At the present moment, we postulate that the patients of the cases may have acquired the infections through contact with others in the building or through contact with a contaminated environment," Au said.

In a statement issued late Sunday, the government said deep cleansing for the common area of the whole building will be conducted and the Housing Department will carry out investigations to see if there are other factors that have led to the outbreak there.

The government also appealed to the cooperation of all residents to participate in the testing and stay home until the results of the tests are available.

The government has also arranged delivery of food packs by Yan Chai Hospital Social Services Department to the elderly living at Block 8 to facilitate them to stay home.

ALSO READ: HK govt plans free COVID-19 vaccination for all residents

The infection tally in the financial hub stood at 6,897 as of Sunday evening.