Coronavirus test appointments to start by week's end

Appointments for the free,  two-week coronavirus testing program in Hong Kong will open by the end of this week and the address list of testing centers will also  be announced once the facilities open, a government official said.

The Secretary for the Civil Service, Patrick Nip, said residents will need to enter their name, phone number and ID card number to make an appointment for the voluntary coronavirus test.

As for the locations of more than 100 testing centers in 18 districts, they will also be announced when the appointment system is activated. 

Virus Test results will be sent to individuals via SMS.

Nip told an RTHK radio program that personal data will be processed separately from the testing samples. Citizens' data will be encrypted and destroyed within a month after the virus test is completed.

Nip also said more than 3,000 medical staff have been recruited for the testing work.

Nip said it would be difficult to estimate how many residents will get tested in the two weeks.