Coronavirus Hong Kong: city leader says some residents will need to take daily rapid tests going forward, even as number of cases falls below 1,300

Chief Executive Carrie Lam has warned residents to brace for a rise in new cases as life in the city gradually returns to normal

Meanwhile, the government is expected to release 5,500 public and transitional housing units previously set aside as isolation facilities for Covid-19 patients

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Heng King House at Lai King Estate was among the developments temporarily converted into community isolation facilities for coronavirus patients. Photo: Sam Tsang

Published: 12:17pm, 13 Apr 2022Updated: 10:42pm, 13 Apr 2022

Certain Hong Kong residents engaged in high-risk activities will be required to take daily rapid coronavirus tests going forward, the city’s leader has said, as the number of new cases fell to a two-month low ahead of a planned easing of social-distancing rules.

Even with the city’s fifth wave of infections appearing to taper off, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor warned residents on Wednesday to brace for a rebound in new cases as life in the city gradually returned to normal.

“There are risks for society returning to normal. Omicron is still the main variant and it’s highly transmissible … We will inevitably see an increase in cases,” she said at her daily epidemic press conference.

Health authorities reported 1,272 new infections on Wednesday, 734 of which were confirmed via nucleic acid tests and 538 by people taking at-home rapid antigen tests (RAT). The number of cases was the lowest since February 10, when 986 were confirmed. Officials also reported 62 deaths related to Covid-19.

Officials also revealed they would give out free rapid test kits to residents aged 60 or above from next Tuesday until May 31 as part of a campaign to encourage the elderly to screen themselves more often.

The distribution programme was announced hours after Lam rejected calls for the government to offer free test kits to all students, citing public finance reasons. Pupils will be required to screen themselves daily before attending classes when in-person learning resumes in phases after the Easter holidays.