Half Of Virus Test Centres Are Former Polling Booths

RTHK has found that more than half of the facilities that will be used for sample collections for the government's universal Covid-19 testing programme were also used as polling stations in the last two elections held in Hong Kong.

Of the 141 community collection centres that have been set up throughout the SAR, 76 were used as polling stations in the district council elections last year, and 72 were used in the 2016 Legco elections.

The information was found by cross-referencing lists of venues from the government's website about the community testing programme, and the two government websites for the two elections.

Some of the listed sample collection centres that were previously used as polling stations include Aberdeen Sports Centre, Wah Kwai Community Centre, Pak Tin Community Hall, Pei Ho Street Sports Centre, and Lai Kok Community Hall.

It was also discovered that in Wong Tai Sin district – which was at the centre of some of the biggest Covid-19 outbreaks during the third wave of infections – five of the nine centres being utilised in the area were also used as polling stations, including the Lung Cheung Government Secondary School and the Fung Tak Community Centre.

The Legco elections were originally scheduled for September 6, but in July Chief Executive Carrie Lam announced they would be postponed for a year in view of the Covid-19 outbreak.

The government has since been criticised over the decision to postpone the elections and yet going ahead with city-wide mass coronavirus testing where large number of people have to go to the specimen collection centres, raising fears of cross infections.

On Tuesday, Lam said the infection risks associated with city-wide coronavirus tests are lower than that of holding the Legco election, and that it was inappropriate and unreasonable to compare the two exercises.

Lam also pointed out that the universal testing exercise is run over a longer time – expected to last two weeks starting from Tuesday – and that there will be an online booking system to prevent overcrowding.