The Government plans to allow people undergoing rapid antigen tests (RAT) to register their positive results through an online system so that they may be followed up as positive cases without seeking confirmation in nucleic acid tests.

This is part of the Government’s updated priorities and channels of testing services starting today, in order to focus resources in expediting overall testing process to confirm positive cases and offer assistance as early as practicable. 

In the past, RAT positive people needed to submit samples, such as deep throat saliva ones, again, for the purpose of conducting nucleic acid tests to confirm the results.

The new arrangement aims to avoid resource duplication and time delay, and the details will be announced once the arrangements and system are ready.

The Government has also decided to revise the compulsory testing strategy under the risk-based principle, citing the procurement of a mass number of rapid test kit with the support of the central authorities.

It will continue to conduct restriction-testing declaration operations targeting higher-risk buildings, with plans to cover more buildings. The compulsory testing requirements upon completion of such operations will be replaced with a RAT conducted by the residents.

For places with higher infection risks, such as buildings and catering premises recording multiple cases, the Government will distribute rapid test kits to staff, residents and other people concerned instead of issuing a compulsory testing notice (CTN) as in past practice.

This means the people concerned no longer need to conduct tests at community testing centres or mobile specimen collection stations, and may conduct a RAT on their own. The CTNs which had already been issued will also be cancelled.

The Government will continue to distribute rapid test kits to residents, cleansing workers and property management staff in relevant districts where positive results are detected in sewage surveillance.

As for practitioners in high-risk and high-exposure groups, the compulsory testing frequency will be reduced from once in every two or three days to once in every seven days. The Government will also distribute rapid test kits to such practitioners through the trades, so that they may perform more frequent tests in a testing cycle.

The new compulsory testing strategy will take effect from today until further notice.

Community testing centres and mobile specimen collection stations will continue to provide free testing services, but the number of mobile stations will be suitably reduced in accordance with the updated priorities.

The Government will also dispense with the review procedure of the Public Health Laboratory Services Branch of the Department of Health from today.

Preliminarily positive cases detected by testing contractors will now be followed up forthwith, and positive cases detected in nucleic acid tests by testing contractors will be directly deemed as confirmed cases in future.

Community testing centres and mobile specimen collection stations will continue to provide free testing services, but the number of mobile stations will be suitably reduced in accordance with the updated priorities.

The Government will also dispense with the review procedure of the Public Health Laboratory Services Branch of the Department of Health from today.

Preliminarily positive cases detected by testing contractors will now be followed up forthwith, and positive cases detected in nucleic acid tests by testing contractors will be directly deemed as confirmed cases in future.