Coronavirus Hong Kong: authorities to distribute kits with rapid tests, KN95 masks to 3 million households starting next month, as deaths fall to 3-week low
- Each kit will include 20 KN95 masks, 20 rapid tests and two boxes of proprietary traditional Chinese medicine, among other items
- Authorities plan to distribute them within one week early next month, and larger households will be eligible for more than one
Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor on Friday also said the government was open to the idea of giving part of its stockpile of oral antivirals to private clinics, which would join private hospitals in distributing the pills to infected residents.
According to Lam, each kit will include 20 masks, 20 rapid tests, two boxes of proprietary traditional Chinese medicine, a pamphlet from the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) and a greeting card to encourage residents to keep up the fight against the fifth wave of Covid-19 infections.
“As our medical supplies are now sufficient, we will go for a wider and more organised distribution of those resources,” she said.
Hong Kong confirmed 10,405 new Covid-19 cases on Friday, the fewest since February 25, when 10,010 cases were logged. Authorities also reported 192 deaths, including 30 backlogged ones.
The announced fatalities marked the first time the number had fallen below 200 since March 4, when 188 were reported. The city’s tally of confirmed cases stood at 1,111,629, with 6,962 related deaths.