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Coronavirus: Hong Kong to Start Testing for Entire City on Sept. 1
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August 21, 2020
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4:53Now PlayingHong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam said the city will kick off a campaign to test its entire population for the coronavirus on Sept. 1, in the first such effort attempted outside of mainland China.
Aided by Chinese experts and labs, the blitz will last two weeks. All residents are entitled to a free, one-time test. Unlike similar mass testing drives in the Chinese cities of Wuhan and Dalian, it is on a voluntary basis.
“Hong Kong will be much better equipped to deal with the possible next virus wave now,” said Lam at a press briefing Friday afternoon. She expressed gratitude to China, saying that Hong Kong would not have been able to conduct mass testing on its own.
The resource-intensive effort could help break hidden chains of transmission by detecting asymptomatic carriers, but it’s unclear how many among the city’s over 7 million population will come forward for testing. As China tightens its grip over Hong Kong in the form of a controversial national security law, the mainland-backed testing drive could provide a gauge of mass sentiment towards growing Chinese influence.
In early July, after a long stretch of virus-free life, Hong Kong’s worst outbreak emerged, growing to account for more than two-thirds of its total 4,600 cases. After imposing its strictest-ever social distancing measures, daily cases have steadily fallen, hitting 18 on Thursday.
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