'Gratifying To See 1.5mn Taking Part In Govt Tests'

The Secretary for Civil Service Patrick Nip said it is gratifying to see more than 1.5 million people took part in the government’s voluntary Covid-19 testing scheme.

Nip, who is coordinating the scheme, told a radio programme that as of 8:30am on Friday, 1.53 million people have had their specimens taken under the scheme, of which 1.31 million had registered for appointments online, while the others dropped in.

He said that of the 100,000 people who had their samples collected on Thursday, more than 50 percent did not have an appointment.

He said that the numbers were "gratifying" as the more people who participate in the test scheme, the easier it will be for the authorities to find silent virus carriers which will help them control and end the epidemic as soon as possible.

From Saturday, 57 sample collection centres will remain open as the scheme is further extended till Monday.

Nip said these centres are mostly located in business districts, or close to public housing estates.

He said it was difficult to predict how many more people would get tested under the citywide scheme, but said that there’s still a demand for coronavirus tests in these areas.

So far, 21 new Covid-19 cases have been found under the universal community testing programme.