‘I have waited 12 days’: slow coronavirus test results frustrate Hong Kong residents stuck at home

Complaints about prolonged waiting time for Covid-19 test results in Hong Kong continued to mount on Thursday, with one resident telling the Post that it had been 12 days since she was screened.

Long queues had formed outside testing stations in recent weeks, with some in line under compulsory orders to be screened as the city found itself in the thick of a raging fifth wave of coronavirus infections.

Mavis Li, a 47-year-old mother-of-two, said she was still waiting to receive her test results on Thursday after she and her eldest child had their nasal and throat swab samples taken at a mobile specimen collection station at Kai Tak East Playground on February 5.

“I have waited for 12 days. If I do have the virus, I would have recovered by now,” she said. “I don’t know whether I should even chase after the result.”

They went to the test centre after receiving a notification message from their “Leave Home Safe” risk-exposure app. The family has also avoided going out after submitting their samples.

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“At first I was worried that I might have been infected, so I kept away from my children,” she said. “But as time passed, we never developed any symptoms, so I am more worried about the infection risks in the community now.”

Li said she had sought help from multiple hotlines, including ones for the collection station, the site’s contractors and the Department of Health, but with no success.

“Being forced to stay at home for a week is boring and upsetting for my children … They really hope to meet their friends and play together at the park,” she said, adding that she had been confused by measures which allowed people under a compulsory testing order to travel around the city before they even knew their test results.

Alice Lee, 28, an employee at an NGO that helps people with disabilities, said she had been waiting for her results since February 9 and could only go back to her office once she had received a negative result.

“Although this would not affect my income, I feel upset for affecting my other colleagues,” said Lee, whose work involved training people with intellectual disabilities.

Although most of the lessons were moved online due to the pandemic, she said it was much easier to work at the office.

“It’s also difficult for me to isolate myself at home during this period, as I still need to head out to see the doctor and do other stuff.”

Another resident, who did not wish to be identified, said she had submitted a deep throat saliva specimen on Saturday but had still not received her results as of Thursday noon.

She only went to buy enough necessities after submitting the samples and has isolated herself at home since then.

“I thought it would only take one or two days … Turns out the fifth day has passed,” she said.

“We cannot use the rapid antigen test, as we were under a compulsory testing order. Paying for the Covid test is also not that affordable for everyone,” she said.

Free-of-charge testing services are provided at community testing centres and mobile specimen collection stations for people under compulsory and regular testing. Residents can also opt for a self-paid test, which costs HK$240 each.

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According to the health authorities’ website, residents are supposed to receive their results for the self-paid test from the contractor within 24 hours.

Some residents have also said they have received their self-paid test results within 24 hours, while others who went for the free test said they waited more than 72 hours to get their results.

As of 5.30pm on Thursday, online bookings for 19 community testing centres over the coming week have already filled up, with some sites only having limited quotas left.

Health officials have said that capacity would be ramped up to 300,000 tests per day at the end of the month, up from 200,000, after a new lab at Ma On Shan Sports Centre was opened on Tuesday.

Anthony Wu Ting-yuk, chairman of Sunrise Diagnostic Centre and a former Hospital Authority chief, said that, based on mainland China’s experience of implementing the “dynamic zero-Covid” strategy, 3 million tests would need to be done every day with the help of 1,000 additional staff.

Health authorities have also reminded people under compulsory testing notices to take appropriate disease prevention measures including staying at home and avoiding going out until test results were ascertained as far as possible.