Joseph Lee: Make Covid-19 Screening Mandatory

The lawmaker representing the health services sector, Joseph Lee, has backed calls for the administration to introduce mandatory screening and ramp up its testing capacity to fight the spread of Covid-19.

Speaking on RTHK's Letter to Hong Kong programme, Lee said an outbreak of coronavirus cases in the last week, linked to a warehouse in Kwai Chung and a public housing block in Sha Tin, had increased public concern about the spread of the disease.

"With the identification of a string of infections linked to the warehouse cluster early this week, the growing fear of a 'super spreader' in the community has raised concerns of a greater outbreak," he said.

"Health experts and epidemiologists begin to renew their call for mandatory screening, and pile pressure on the government to scale up testing capacities in both public and private sectors to identify possible carriers in the community."

The Centre for Health Protection said on Saturday that it was still trying to contact residents of five flats in Luk Chuen House in Sha Tin after conducting more than 1,000 tests.

Six residents of the block, including a woman who works at the Kwai Chung warehouse, have tested positive for Covid-19.

Lee said he hoped the government "will not seek to diffuse these concerns" from the community but would "take positive follow up actions to help protect the community from having a third wave epidemic".

"Be that as it may, Covid-19 is going to be a 'new normal', it is necessary for the government to monitor the epidemic closely and respond appropriately," Lee said.

"For frontliners and individuals, despite their frustrations and despair, don't lose hope, just get back to the basics, ie vigilant personal hygiene, proper PPE as required, and, last but not least, stay mentally healthy."