Secretary for Innovation & Technology Alfred Sit today visited the command centre set up by the Logistics & Supply Chain MultiTech R&D Centre (LSCM) for the Universal Community Testing Programme.

He learnt about how LSCM applied logistics and related technologies to oversee the security management and logistical arrangements for specimens.

LSCM Chief Executive Officer Simon Wong introduced the technologies applied in streamlining the logistical arrangements.

Currently, three fleets are deployed to transport specimen collection boxes, universal transport medium bottles and empty collection boxes separately.

One hundred vehicles in the fleets are designated to transfer the specimens twice a day from community testing centres to the laboratory on the same day for testing.

To ensure secure delivery of specimen collection boxes from community testing centres to the laboratory, multiple security technologies are adopted.

These include a barcode on each specimen collection box to facilitate transaction recording, Near-field communication technology for sealing collection boxes to prevent the opening of boxes at will as well as the electronic tracking of specimen collection boxes and logistics vehicles throughout the delivery process.

Mr Sit said the Government attaches great importance to the security management and logistical arrangements for specimens.

He also encouraged the LSCM team to keep up their good work and continue to support the Government in fighting the pandemic with technology.