Hong Kong to hold mass COVID-19 testing drive

JAPAN: Hong Kong will start a mass COVID-19 testing campaign from next month.

“The Hong Kong government will be responsible for sample collection, delivering samples, and the central government will provide testing personnel and lab services,” Chief Executive Carrie Lam said at a news conference on Friday.

The testing is expected to be completed in two weeks, according to a report. At least 50 medical workers from China’s southern Guangdong province will assist the Hong Kong administration in the drive.

“Hong Kong cannot conduct the citywide testing without the support of the central government,” Lam said. With a population of over 7.4 million, Hong Kong has reported 4,605 corona-virus cases and 75 deaths so far.

Nearly 780,500 tests have already been conducted in the semi-autonomous region. Meanwhile, the 2020-21 ordinary session of Hong Kong’s Legislative Council (LegCo) will begin from October. Elections for the council, which were scheduled for Sept. 6, have been delayed by a year due to the pandemic Over in mainland China, no local coronavirus case was reported for a fifth consecutive day.

According to the country’s National Health Commission, 22 imported cases were recorded over the past 24 hours until Thursday night. China’s overall count since last December stands at 84,917, including 4,634 fatalities and 79,792 recoveries.