CE inspects virus detection efforts

February 15, 2021

Chief Executive Carrie Lam today inspected a sewage sampling site set up by the Drainage Services Department (DSD) to learn more on how to detect the COVID-19 virus via sewage surveillance.

     

The sewage sampling site she inspected is located in Central & Western District. DSD staff and contractors are tasked with conducting hours-long sampling work at specified outdoor sites upon short notice every day.

 

Mrs Lam then visited the public health laboratory of the University of Hong Kong where she was briefed on the treatment of sewage samples and the testing process. She talked to researchers and PhD students and noted that they continued to work industriously during the Lunar New Year holidays.

 

She thanked the cross-disciplinary team of the university and colleagues of government departments for their hard work to fight the virus through sewage surveillance, emphasising that the Government will continue to leverage technology to achieve more in its anti-epidemic work.

     

The Environmental Protection Department and the DSD have been collaborating with the cross-disciplinary team of the university in the research of sewage surveillance since last year. Following continued improvement and verification, the technology has been applied in monitoring the spread of the COVID-19 virus in the community and individual buildings.

 

From the end of last year till now, the Government has conducted compulsory testing operations on more than 110 buildings with positive sewage testing results, identifying more than 50 confirmed cases.

 

The Government is seeking to increase the testing capability as soon as possible with the purchase of more equipment and collaboration with other private laboratories.

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