'Universal Testing Boosted HK's Testing Capability'

A local laboratory that helped with the universal Covid-19 testing programme said on Tuesday that the experience has paved the way for Hong Kong acquiring the ability to conduct up to 100,000 testings if needed.

Anthony Wu, chairman of Sunrise Diagnostic Centre, said at present, their regular laboratories in Hong Kong can test around 30,000 samples for coronavirus a day.

But in case of an emergency, they can reactivate the temporary, air-inflated laboratories that were used in the universal testing scheme.

It can be launched in a week and the testing capacity can be ramped up to 100,000 tests a day.

Wu said he thinks Hong Kong would have enough manpower to handle such a situation and their company can also mobilise some staff from Shenzhen.

As to the working conditions for his staff and mainland health officials during the city-wide testing, he said that there are not many people who have decided to wear diapers or skip meals in a bid to avoid taking off their protective gear at work.

Around 600 mainland officials who came to the SAR particularly for the universal testing programme will begin to go home on Wednesday, he added.

A medical consultant to the company said although they have found one false positive Covid-19 case among their testings, it's satisfactory because there's just one out of 1.7 million specimens and that their testing has been sensitive.