The Government announced today (January 19) that manpower has been ramped up and more registration/swabbing booths were set up at community testing centres/stations (CTC/CTSs) with high demand to cater for the surge in testing demand.
 
     Taking the testing station at Maple Street Playground as an example, the Government has acquired the football pitch next to the testing station before noon today. The number of booths for registration and payment has been tripled as a means to direct people flow. The Government will adjust the arrangements based on the actual situation of individual CTC/CTSs.
 
     To provide greater convenience to testees, the following CTC/CTSs will advance their operation and start early at 8am tomorrow (January 20):
 
Yau Tsim Mong District

• Mini-Soccer Pitch, Kowloon Park (near Exit C of Jordan Station)

 
Sham Shui Po District

• Basketball court of Fu Cheong Estate, Sham Shui Po (near Nam Cheong Station)
• Lai Chi Kok Park Entrance (near Exit D of Mei Foo Station)

Kwun Tong District

• Basketball courts next to Wong Shek House, Ping Shek Estate (near Exit A of Choi Hung Station)
• Kwun Tong Recreation Ground, 6 Tsui Ping Road (near Exit D1 of Kwun Tong Station)

 
North District

• Luen Wo Hui Playground, Fanling
• Po Wing Road Playground, Sheung Shui

 
     A Government spokesman stressed that the testing capacity is ample and sufficient to meet the demand of cross-boundary passenger flow before the Lunar New Year. There are still about 41 000, 72 000 and 94 000 testing places for booking at CTC/CTSs across the city for today, tomorrow and January 21 respectively, as at 5pm today.
 
     The spokesman also reminded members of the public that:

• CTCs and CTSs will accord priority for service to persons with a booking. Those without a booking will inevitably need to wait longer;
• CTCs and CTSs will normally be busier in the evening hours. Members of the public can choose to undergo testing during daytime;
• If the testing places at a CTC or CTS are fully booked on a certain day, individuals without a booking will not be catered for and they will need to turn to other CTCs or CTSs for testing;
• Persons who had made a reservation should arrive at the CTC/CTS on time according to the time slot they booked. Those who show up too late may need to wait for a longer time or will not be served; and
• Persons travelling to the Mainland do not need to return to the CTC/CTSs specifically for collecting paper form reports. For the purpose of cross-boundary travel, the electronic reports issued by testing institutions and the self-paid nucleic acid testing electronic records available for download from the COVID-19 Electronic Testing Record System (www.evt.gov.hk/portal/en/) are also accepted for presentation to and checking by relevant staff at boundary control points.

 
     There are still abundant testing places in multiple CTC/CTSs. Many of these CTC/CTSs are conveniently located in close proximity to MTR stations. Persons who wish to undergo COVID-19 nucleic acid testing can reserve a testing time slot online in advance and opt for those CTC/CTSs with fewer users for testing. Members of the public may browse the following websites to keep abreast of the service status of CTC/CTSs:
 

• Latest booking status of CTC/CTSs (booking.communitytest.gov.hk/en/)
• List of CTC/CTSs with fewer users on the day (www.communitytest.gov.hk/en/station/)

     
     As at 5pm today, there are still abundant testing places for today at the following CTC/CTSs that have fewer users. Citizens who need to undergo testing may turn to these testing centres and stations.
 
CTC/CTSs with abundant testing places today
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Hong Kong Island

• Yee Shing Street (Basketball Court Nos. 1 and 2), Chai Wan
• Siu Sai Wan Community Hall
• Lei Tung Community Hall (near Exit B of Lei Tung Station)

Kowloon

• To Kwa Wan Sports Centre (near Exit A of To Kwa Wan Station)
• Argyle Street Playground, Kowloon City (near Exit B1 of Sung Wong Toi Station)

 
New Territories East

• Wo Hing Community Hall, Fanling
• Po Wing Road Playground, Sheung Shui
• Fo Tan Wo Liu Hang Road near Wo Liu Hang Playground (near Exit D of Fo Tan Station)

New Territories West

• Tin Pak Road Park, Tin Shui Wai
• Tai Wo Hau Estate Community Centre
• Kwai Chung San Kui Park (near Exit D of Kwai Hing Station)
• Hard-surfaced Soccer Pitch, Hing Fong Road Playground (near Exit D of Kwai Fong Station)
• Shek Pai Street Park, Kwai Chung
• Cheung Fat Estate Community Centre, Tsing Yi
• Open area outside Tsing Yi Swimming Pool (near Exit C of Tsing Yi Station)
• Lai King Community Hall (near Exit A of Lai King Station)

 
     Separately, as at 5pm today, testing places at the following CTC/CTSs have reached their limits. Persons without a booking will not be served. As such, persons without a booking should not go to these CTC/CTSs.
 
CTC/CTSs with testing places reaching their limits today
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• Kennedy Town Community Complex
• Sai Woo Lane Playground
• Edinburgh Place, Central
• Leighton Hill Community Hall in Wan Chai
• Southorn Playground
• Bandstand, Victoria Park
• North Point Vehicular Ferry Pier Playground
• Pak Tin Community Hall in Sham Shui Po
• Maple Street Playground
• Ho Man Tin Park
• Yau Tong Community Hall
• Ngau Tau Kok Road Sports Centre in Kwun Tong
• Sau Ming Road Park in Kwun Tong
• Ping Shek Basketball Court next to Wong Shek House of Ping Shek Estate
• Lam Tin Service Reservoir Playground
• Kwun Tong Recreation Ground at 6 Tsui Ping Road
• Kowloon Park Mini-Soccer pitch
• Beech Street, Tai Kok Tsui
• Arthur Street Temporary Playground, Yau Ma Tei
• Basketball court of MacPherson Playground
• Tai Wo Sports Centre in Tai Po
• Tai Po Central Town Square
• Tai Po Community Centre Basketball Court at 2 Heung Sze Wui Street
• Hard-surfaced Soccer Pitch, Ma On Shan Recreation Ground
• Wu Kai Sha Station Public Transport Interchange
• Lek Yuen Community Hall in Sha Tin
• Plaza, Sha Tin Town Hall
• Che Kung Temple Sports Centre open space
• Sha Tin Wai Playground
• Luen Wo Hui Playground
• Sheung Shui Cycling Hub

Ends/Thursday, January 19, 2023
Issued at HKT 19:01

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