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

Chief Executive Carrie Lam today said the requirement for students to conduct daily COVID-19 rapid antigen tests (RATs) before going to school will remain in effect for now as it is a very reassuring measure for both the schools and parents.

Speaking to the media ahead of the Executive Council meeting this morning, Mrs Lam explained that due to the daily RAT exercise, 50 students and 17 school staff members were found to have contracted the virus as reported by schools from April 19 to 29.

As a result, she stressed that now is not the time to lift the testing requirement.

“On the question about the requirement that students going to school have to undertake a daily rapid antigen test, I said at the time of announcing this measure that this was not intended to be a permanent one, but it is not time yet to review the relevance of this measure because it is still proven to be very reassuring for their schools and also for their parents.

“Since April 19, we have only allowed primary schools to resume their face-to-face learning because secondary school premises were used for the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination.

“From today onwards, this will be the first time that secondary students are also going back to school for their face-to-face learning, so likewise they will have to do their daily rapid antigen test before entering the school premises. Equally, it is a very reassuring measure for the schools and also for the parents, but in due course, we will, of course, revisit this measure.”