Health Chief Says 4-5 Million Will Take Covid Tests

Health Secretary Sophia Chan says she expects between four and five million Hong Kong residents to take up the opportunity of a free Covid-19 test, with the testing to be concluded within weeks.

The government said on Friday that central government support would allow it to offer a free test to anyone who wants one, starting in about two weeks, as it attempts to stem a third wave of virus cases in the SAR.

Speaking on an RTHK programme, Chan said the government was still trying to work out testing capacity, but was confident of having the tests concluded within two weeks of the start of the exercise.

Chan said members of the public had so far reacted well to the offer of testing for high-risk groups, including care workers at homes for the elderly, taxi drivers and restaurant staff.

She said the Information Technology Bureau was involved in designing a registration system for the testing project.

The tests will be conducted with the support of experts from the mainland. It dismissed privacy concerns, saying testing staff would not know the identities of those who provided the samples.

The move came amid a surge in virus cases in July and August. The total number of cases passed 4,000 on Sunday.