Viral testing enhanced

May 19, 2020

Secretary for Food & Health Prof Sophia Chan:

As the epidemic evolves, we find more asymptomatic cases. If you (can) recall, getting community samples from the accident and emergency departments as well as the general outpatient clinics started all the way from February 19. So, way back we realised there could be symptomatic cases in the community who may not be required to go to hospitals, so we started this surveillance. Of course, at the different stages of the epidemic’s development, we would roll out different surveillance programmes.

We also obviously have to consider the capacity of our public health laboratory and also our Hospital Authority laboratory because, as I've said, at the different stages of development of the epidemic there are different testing needs. For example, when we have many, many cases and many close contacts, we do have to reserve our capacity for those cases, to confirm the cases, to test the close contacts and to test the second specimen within the 14-day quarantine period.

Now of course when we have fewer confirmed cases, we do have the capacity to do more testing in the community, especially the asymptomatic cases and also the high-risk asymptomatic cases. And this is also evolving because we have now found from science that there are more asymptomatic cases evolving. That's how it rolled out, so that's why we have now got plans to first, increase the capacity of our laboratory in the Hospital Authority, in the Department of Health’s public health laboratory, as well as the two universities. We have previously provided the Anti-epidemic Fund to the Department of Health, Hong Kong University and Chinese University of Hong Kong to boost their laboratory capacity.

Second, to expand the testing strategy, and that is to go into the community. That's why I said earlier that we will be testing or we have started testing airport workers. We will be testing workers of our elderly homes and also disability homes, as well as distributing bottles at the 18 Chinese medicine clinics, tripartite clinics, as well as our District Health Centre in Kwai Tsing. So I don't think it is too late. Basically it is when the epidemic evolves then we start rolling out further programmes.

(To watch the full media session with sign language interpretation, click here.)

The Government is further enhancing laboratory testing capabilities for COVID-19 and the scope of testing, Secretary for Food & Health Prof Sophia Chan told the media today.

“We also obviously have to consider the capacity of our public health laboratory and also our Hospital Authority laboratory because, as I have said, at the different stages of development of the epidemic there are different testing needs.

“Now of course when we have fewer confirmed cases, we do have the capacity to do more testing in the community, especially the asymptomatic cases and also the high-risk asymptomatic cases.

“And this is also evolving because we have now found from science that there are more asymptomatic cases evolving. That is how it rolled out, so that is why we have now got plans to first, increase the capacity of our laboratory in the Hospital Authority, in the Department of Health’s public health laboratory, as well as the two universities."

She noted the Anti-epidemic Fund had allocated resources to the Department of Health, Hong Kong University and The Chinese University of Hong Kong to boost their laboratory capacity.

Meanwhile, the Government has expanded viral testing in the community to cover those who work at Hong Kong International Airport and care homes, Prof Chan added.

“To expand the testing strategy, and that is to go into the community, we will be testing or we have started testing airport workers.

“We will be testing workers of our elderly homes and also disability homes, as well as distributing bottles at the 18 Chinese medicine clinics, tripartite clinics, as well as our District Health Centre in Kwai Tsing.

“So I do not think it is too late. Basically it is when the epidemic evolves then we start rolling out further programmes.”