Cut-price coronavirus tests minutes from home to be made available for millions of people in Hong Kong
- Government says 5 million people will be able to take advantage of cut-price tests at nearby locations
- A total of 85 test centres will be available from Friday, no more than a 15 minute walk from people’s homes
About 5 million Hong Kong residents will be able to take a cut-price coronavirus test inside a 15 minute walk from their homes as part of a government drive to make screening more accessible.
The cost of a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test would be reduced from HK$240 (US$30) to HK$150, a 40 per cent cut, with results back inside 24 hours and the number of screening centres would be increased, the government announced on Thursday.
An “express service” with a price tag of HK$240 will also be on offer with results expected to be available within 12 hours.
The government said the measures were designed to provide “ample, high-quality, speedy, accessible and affordable” community testing services and help the public to get nucleic acid tests.
The two-tier service for self-paid PCR tests will be introduced later this month.
A total of 85 community Covid-19 testing spots will be in operation across the city from Friday, with most of them located near the city’s MTR stations.