The government announced today that every Hong Kong resident would be eligible for one free coronavirus test that will be rolled out two weeks from now.
The tests will be voluntary and run with the aid of a group of medical experts arriving from Mainland China from three different laboratories – BGI, Kingmed, and Hong Kong Molecular.
In response to privacy concerns from the public, all tests will be anonymous and identified by a barcode; the process will be finalised in the next coming weeks. In the press conference today, Carrie Lam cited "coronavirus fatigue" as one of the reasons why a lockdown would be infeasible. She called for public support to ensure that Hong Kong could eventually open up its economy and return to normal as soon as possible.
With 89 new positive coronavirus cases today, the city's increased testing will continue to be carried out amongst high-risk groups, such as taxi drivers, restaurant workers, and care home workers. One thousand more beds will be added in the AsiaWorld-Expo testing centre, and community treatment facilities will be extended. The government will also work with Yan Chai hospital to provide testing for all pregnant women. Tiffany Tsoi