Certain venues may require rapid Covid testing before entry, says Carrie Lam

Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said Hong Kong may in the future require citizens to undergo rapid antigen tests before entering certain premises.  

Speaking on a daily Covid briefing on Wednesday, the Hong Kong leader called on citizens to actively participate in the upcoming mass rapid testing, completing three Covid-19 tests using rapid antigen test (RAT) kits between April 8 and 10.  

The tests will be voluntary, and only those who test positive are urged to report, the Chief Executive said.

She noted that the testing exercise could allow authorities to identify coronavirus carriers and cut transmissions and enable citizens to get used to using the RAT kits for self-testing.  

Specific venues in the territory may require rapid testing after the relaxation of the city’s Covid curbs, she said, adding that care home workers, construction workers, and frontline medical staff have already been required to do so regularly.  

The regular testing requirement would also be applicable in the upcoming HKDSE exams, in which candidates will be required to show a negative Covid-19 rapid test result for each exam they sit.  

Meanwhile, Acting Secretary for Home Affairs Jack Chan Jick-chi said authorities have since distributed some 2.65 million anti-epidemic service bags, with the distribution to around 2.7 million households in Hong Kong expected to complete today.  

Chan said citizens could, starting tomorrow, obtain more RAT kits at the city’s 90 distribution points when necessary. Those who have not received the service bags may also collect them at the distribution points after simple registration.  

Separately, Controller of the Centre for Health Protection Edwin Tsui Lok-kin advised citizens to conduct rapid testing in the morning after they woke up in order to obtain a more accurate result.  

Those unfamiliar with the process can dial the government hotline 1836119 for assistance.