HKSAR gov’t continues to distribute free RAT kits to elderly persons till end of June
HONG KONG, May 27– The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government announced on Friday that it will continue to distribute free rapid antigen test kits to elderly people till the end of June. A spokesperson for the Food and Health Bureau of the HKSAR government said that given the high transmissibility of the Omicron mutant strain, members of the public…
HONG KONG, May 27 (Xinhua) — The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government announced on Friday that it will continue to distribute free rapid antigen test (RAT) kits to elderly people till the end of June.
In the light of the gradual relaxation of social distancing measures and the increase in social activities, the extension of the distribution arrangement is to encourage elderly people to undergo voluntary RAT testing from time to time and monitor their own health conditions.
The HKSAR government has been distributing free RAT kits to elderly people aged 60 or above through various elderly service units since mid-April.
A spokesperson for the Food and Health Bureau of the HKSAR government said that given the high transmissibility of the Omicron mutant strain, members of the public must stay vigilant even though the epidemic situation has subsided a little recently, particularly elderly people who have a higher COVID-19 infection risk.
Making good use of RAT kits to conduct frequent testing allows early identification of infection, thereby achieving the goal of “early identification, early isolation and early treatment,” the spokesperson said.
On Friday, Hong Kong registered 105 new COVID-19 cases by nucleic acid tests, and 145 additional cases through self-reported RATs, official data showed. Enditem
