Hong Kong Shifting to Rapid Covid Tests to Curb Record Cases
- Most people can test at home, register positive results online
- High-risk group test frequency will be reduced to once a week
A healthcare worker prepares samples to be delivered to a laboratory at a Covid-19 testing facility on Feb. 25.
Photographer: Chan Long Hei/BloombergHong Kong is changing its Covid-testing strategy to obtain faster results with self-administered kits and is easing isolation rules as it battles to suppress its worst coronavirus outbreak to date.
Hospitals will discharge Covid-positive patients if they are in stable condition and allow them to isolate at homes or in community isolation facilities to relieve the burden on hospitals and healthcare services, health department officials said. People with positive results from rapid antigen tests will be able to register online for follow-up without seeking confirmation in more sensitive nucleic-acid tests to “avoid resource duplication and time delay”.