Government encourages public to make good use of community testing centres and mobile specimen collection stations for testing
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In view of the few recent confirmed/suspected Omicron cases that had visited various places in the community during their incubation period, the Government has stepped up the relevant compulsory testing arrangement in order to minimise the transmission of Omicron variant in the community. The relevant persons are required to undergo more frequent testing during the early stage after the relevant case(s) visited the concerned places, with a view to locating the persons possibly infected. Persons who had visited such places must undergo compulsory testing before the relevant testing deadlines and pay close attention to the relevant press release(s) to be issued by the Government on the additional testing(s) required.
Persons subject to compulsory testing and those received the "LeaveHomeSafe" COVID-19 exposure notification or SMS notification from the Centre for Health Protection reminding them to undergo testing as soon as possible may conduct free testing at CTCs or mobile specimen collection stations (if the service scope is applicable).
Free testing service will be provided to persons subject to compulsory testing at CTCs and mobile specimen collection stations located at some 30 places in various districts tomorrow (January 2). The number of booking places available for appointments at CTCs has been increased to around 39 000 per day, and more manpower has been deployed to serve the public.
As of 6pm today (January 1), there are around 32 000 booking places available for tomorrow at the CTCs, and the average appointment rate of CTCs in the territory for the next two days is less than 20 per cent. The testing capacity should be sufficient to meet the demand. The Government appeals to members of the public to utilise the 24-hour booking system (www.communitytest.gov.hk/en). The system shows the booking status of the centres for the coming two weeks to facilitate the public's planning and selection of a suitable testing centre and a time slot for testing with a view to minimising their waiting time at CTCs. The testing centres will accord priority to serve individuals with advance bookings.
In addition to the 19 CTCs, a number of mobile specimen collection stations in various districts are in operation to provide a free testing service to the public. The locations, opening dates/hours and service scope are at Annex and will be updated at the website www.communitytest.gov.hk/en/station/.
The Government in particular reminds members of the public undergoing compulsory testing in Hong Kong Island to make good use of the following CTCs/mobile specimen collection stations for free testing:
- Southern District: Lei Tung Community Hall
- Central & Western District: Shek Tong Tsui Sports Centre, Edinburgh Place in Central, Kennedy Town Playground, The Belcher's in Pok Fu Lam (for residents and workers of The Belcher's)
- Eastern District: Quarry Bay Community Hall, Tin Chong Street in North Point (for residents and workers of Nam Tin Building)
- Wan Chai District: Leighton Hill Community Hall
To enable the working population to undergo testing on their rest days or before/after work, the CTCs are open daily from 8am to 1.30pm and from 2.30pm to 8pm, even on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. Meanwhile, mobile specimen collection stations are generally open daily from 10am to 8pm.
The Government urges all individuals who are in doubt about their own health conditions, or individuals with infection risks (such as individuals who visited places with epidemic outbreaks or contacted confirmed cases), to undergo testing promptly for early identification of infected persons.
Ends/Saturday, January 1, 2022
Issued at HKT 23:39
Issued at HKT 23:39
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