A health expert said the government’s latest requirement for people from high-risk and high-exposure groups to undergo virus testing every three days is “not too strict”.
Dr Joseph Tsang Kay-yan, co-chairman of the Medical Association's advisory committee on communicable diseases, said many overseas returnees were asymptomatic carriers of the
coronavirus, even they were fully vaccinated.
Tsang said if Hong Kong wishes to reopen its borders with the mainland sooner, the anti-epidemic measures in the city must fall in line with the mainland’s.
“More frequent regular virus testing for people like frontline medical staff and quarantine hotel workers are reasonable,” he said.
The SAR government on Thursday announced that healthcare staff handling
COVID-19 cases in the North Lantau Hospital Hong Kong Infection Control Centre must undergo virus testing every three days.
The move came one week after airport staff of targeted groups were required to follow the same requirement.
The government also announced that it will progressively arrange for working staff of other high-risk and high-exposure groups to be mandated with the new requirements.
They included staff at designated quarantine hotels, quarantine facilities and relevant designated transport, cold store practitioners, workers at designated container terminals and shipping services as well as community testing centers.