AMN/ WEB DESK
Hong Kong’s government has ordered the compulsory testing of all of its 7.5 million citizens as the city battles surging coronavirus infections.
Chief Executive Carrie Lam said residents would have to undergo three rounds of tests starting in mid-March.
The coming one to three months are crucial in fighting the pandemic, Mrs. Lam told reporters. This quickly worsening epidemic has far exceeded the Hong Kong government’s ability to tackle it, she added.
All residents will have to undergo three rounds of PCR testing, at intervals of about a week. Ms. Lam did not set a date for testing to start but said capacity would be increased to a million daily tests.
In between compulsory tests, residents will be required to conduct daily rapid antigen testing. Experts have warned that huge numbers of the population could be in isolation within weeks.
Hong Kong reported 6,211 new cases on Tuesday, but the actual figure is thought to be much higher because of a backlog in testing.
In the first two years of the pandemic, the territory recorded only 12,650 cases and just over 200 deaths, numbers far below most other similar-sized cities. The total number of cases has multiplied five-fold since January.
Tens of thousands of new isolation spaces are being created for those who test positive, but Mrs. Lam conceded the new measures may not succeed.