Hong Kong to test entire population for coronavirus

Hong Kong authorities intend to test the entire population for COVID-19 amid the biggest outbreak since the start of the pandemic.

Report informs, citing TASS, that the respective program to be assisted by specialists from mainland China will be launched in March.

According to the information, up to a million people will be tested daily.

All residents will have to pass three tests within three weeks. The 7.5 million-strong Hong Kong, which has vaccinated 84.5% of its population, is going through the biggest outbreak since the start of the pandemic. The city confirmed 4,285 new coronavirus cases reaching the new anti-record on Wednesday. Nine patients have died.

The megapolis has closed schools, sporting, cultural and entertaining facilities. The restaurants are allowed to work only for takeaways after 06.00 pm. China's Xi personally instructed to spare no effort to take control of the outbreak in this autonomous region in the shortest possible term.

Local administration designated seven more public hospitals for COVID-19 patients, but all of them are already unindicated. Several hotels are planned to be designated for these purposes. All those infected should be isolated and cannot stay at home as part of the local strategy of fighting the epidemic.