Hong Kong’s trial of rapid Covid-19 tests extended by a week as early results show detection levels underperforming

The new tests, which return results in under an hour, are seen as a key to jump-starting international air travel

But the screenings have a sensitivity rate below 90 per cent, demanding a number of adjustments, according to an infectious disease expert

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The Hong Kong government previously said the airport trial would shed some light on whether the new rapid test might shorten waiting times for international arrivals. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 10:14pm, 10 Nov 2020Updated: 12:23am, 11 Nov 2020

A rapid Covid-19 test at the heart of Hong Kong’s plan to reopen international travel has yielded less accurate results than expected, prompting authorities to prolong the pilot trial for another week, the Post has learned.

It was not immediately clear if the findings would affect the roll-out of the much-anticipated travel bubble between the city and Singapore, after the leading Asian air hubs signed an in-principle agreement last month promising to establish the world’s first two-way, quarantine-free corridor “within weeks”.

The administration is expected to hold a wide-ranging press conference on Wednesday morning to reveal how the scheme is progressing, as well as plans for allowing Hong Kong residents to return from the mainland without quarantine.

The government launched a two-week trial on October 28 for the rapid coronavirus test developed by a University of Oxford research team and owned by Prenetics. The test collects respiratory samples submitted by inbound travellers at the airport, then compares the results with that of the RT-PCR nucleic acid test, the “reference standard” the city has used to screen for the virus since the beginning of the pandemic.

The government previously said the airport trial would shed some light on whether the new rapid test might shorten waiting times for international arrivals, helping the city more quickly reconnect with the rest of the world.