Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Carrie Lam speaks during a press conference in Hong Kong, south China, Aug. 7, 2020. Carrie Lam said on Friday that a mass screening for COVID-19 will be launched and any resident can take the free testing voluntarily. The large-scale testing covering millions of people in Hong Kong will be conducted with the support of the central government and is scheduled to take place within two weeks, she told the press conference. (Xinhua/Lui Siu Wai)
HONG KONG, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Carrie Lam said on Friday that a mass screening for COVID-19 will be launched and any resident can take the free testing voluntarily.
The large-scale testing covering millions of people in Hong Kong will be conducted with the support of the central government and is scheduled to take place within two weeks, she told a press conference.
Hong Kong reported 89 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Friday, the fifth day in a row to see less than 100 daily increases, but Lam said the epidemic situation remains critical.
Total cases exceeded 3,900 in Hong Kong, with infection sources of many cases still unknown, meaning there are quite a few silent carriers lurking in communities.
The chief executive reassured that privacy will be protected as the labs will not be given personal information of test takers.
Lam said the central government attaches great importance to the epidemic situation in Hong Kong and pledges to offer all necessary support anytime.
The central government will send in three national-level labs and qualified staff to assist virus testing, and provide related materials, according to Lam.
To cope with possible winter resurgence of COVID-19 cases, Lam said the HKSAR government will add another 1,000 beds in the AsiaWorld-Expo, the venue of a makeshift hospital, while a temporary hospital would be built next to the venue in the coming months.
She stressed that the residents should rely on scientific evidence instead of conspiracy theories by those who attempted to damage relationship between the mainland and the HKSAR. Enditem
