Editorial | Hong Kong must be ready if mass testing required

Authorities have suspended plans to mass-test Hong Kong’s residents for the coronavirus. That is not to say the idea has been abandoned; as Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor explained, timing is key for any such exercise.

But when utilised at the first sign or latter stages of an outbreak, the worth of universal screening is immeasurable, as Shenzhen’s recent week-long lockdown showed. Strict prevention and control measures in the neighbouring metropolis, which has almost twice the city’s population, appears to have ensured the spread of the virus has been contained.

An outbreak of the highly transmissible Omicron variant was inevitable given Shenzhen’s proximity to Covid-stricken Hong Kong. Lockdown measures to test, trace and quarantine were implemented on March 13, with public transport suspended and communities and industrial estates placed under closed management.

Such stringent steps have been effective in preventing the spread of strains of the deadly disease across the mainland since the start of the pandemic and are a critical weapon in the battle. The fight apparently won for now, much of the city was back to normal on Monday.

With speed and clarity, mass testing quickly identifies people with active infection so that close contacts can be found, screened and isolated to interrupt the spread of the disease. Talk by Hong Kong officials of a week-long lockdown, either citywide or of districts, to carry out three rounds of testing, sparked widespread concern.