Hong Kong set to boost coronavirus testing capacity by more than half to detect more silent carriers
- Officials are also expected to announce an extension of social-distancing measures on Tuesday although a few exemptions are being considered
- Relaxation of rules may include reopening karaoke lounges and allowing larger gatherings for religious purposes
While Hong Kong recorded no new Covid-19 cases on Monday, officials were on Tuesday expected to announce an extension of social-distancing measures although a few exemptions were being considered.
The University of Hong Kong’s Professor Yuen Kwok-yung, an adviser to the government on the pandemic, had called for the daily amount to be increased to 7,500 tests to identify those who had mild or no symptoms, to further contain the virus.
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“Actions are in hand to ramp up [public-sector testing capacity] to about 7,000 in the next few months,” a government source said, adding that currently around 4,500 tests could be done.
The source said the extra capacity would come from the Department of Health and Hospital Authority, as well as Chinese University and HKU.
Health minister Professor Sophia Chan Siu-chee last week said the government’s Anti-epidemic Fund had earmarked about HK$220 million for more testing.
Another source said Queen Mary Hospital, a teaching hospital in Pok Fu Lam for HKU, aimed to increase its daily testing capacity from a few hundred to 1,000. Details were yet to be determined.
