Hong Kong has issued its first compulsory testing notices in about a month, naming 10 locations across the territory for mandatory Covid testing.
People who live in or visited the locations named in the notices have to undergo PCR tests. Rapid antigen tests are not accepted.
The buildings included in the compulsory testing notice are located in Tuen Mun, Sha Tin, Tai Po, Tseung Kwan O, Shek Kip Mei, Wong Tai Sin, Kwai Chung, Lam Tin and Chai Wan.
(Click here to view the official notice)
People who stayed at these places for more than two hours from March 9 to 22 are required to undergo a Covid-19 nucleic acid test by Thursday.
The move came as authorities said it will resume sending compulsory testing notices after a drop in daily infections freed up lab capacity, allowing authorities to revive the elaborate tracking and isolation system that’s underpinned its Covid Zero strategy.
The notice on Wednesday is the first since the program was put on hold in late February as surging cases overwhelmed the city’s testing and tracking capacity.
Alerts are sent via the LeaveHomeSafe app -- mandatory for entry to restaurants and other public venues -- though health officials said they’ll initially target high-risk buildings where many infections are found, like residential premises.
The city’s community testing centers now have the capacity for 100,000 to 120,000 tests each day, according to Department of Health official Albert Au.
