(Fighting New Coronary Pneumonia) Carrie Lam urges citizens to actively participate in the universal community testing program to help Hong Kong get out of the "epidemic"
China News Service, Hong Kong, August 25 (Reporter Zhang Xiaoxi) The Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Carrie Lam, said on the 25th that the Hong Kong New Coronavirus Popularized Community Testing Program provides citizens with "willing to check and do all checks" services, and relevant work is currently proceeding smoothly. She once again called on the public to protect themselves and their families, and for Hong Kong society to find invisible patients as soon as possible, and actively participate in this plan, so that Hong Kong will be more confident that it can get out of the "epidemic".
On the same day, Carrie Lam met with the media before attending an executive meeting in Hong Kong and answered questions from reporters. She said that the SAR government will closely observe whether the declining trend of cases in Hong Kong is sustainable, and will do a good job in the detection and follow-up of the two major groups of Kwai Chung Container Terminal and FDH's dormitory. As of the 24th, 6900 samples have been tested on the Kwai Chung Container Terminal group, and no new cases have been found; the SAR government has also decided to conduct regular re-examinations on some dock workers who are at higher risk of infection.
Regarding foreign domestic helpers, she pointed out that the SAR government has adopted very strict arrangements to reduce the arrival of overseas domestic helpers. At present, only dozens of foreign domestic helpers arrive in Hong Kong every day. But in fact, many families in Hong Kong need domestic helpers, so they can now Let these helpers change jobs locally, and expedite the approval of the transfer application; on the other hand, the new crown virus test has been initiated for the changed helpers, and a sampling point has been set up for them, calling on the helpers to be tested before changing jobs .
However, she said that on the 24th, a small group outbreak occurred again in a dormitory for the disabled in a non-governmental organization, indicating that there is currently no way to completely avoid a small group outbreak in local society or imported cases. The most important thing is to respond quickly and effectively.
Some people in the medical care industry mentioned that if the SAR government has the ability to test, it should focus on virus testing for specific groups instead of launching universal community testing. Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor clarified that the two have nothing to do with each other. The SAR government will conduct tests for specific groups, and will reserve the strength for the diagnosis, treatment or health monitoring work that the Hong Kong Hospital Authority and the Department of Health of the SAR Government need to do. The testing capabilities are used for popularized community testing. She doesn't want any doctors to put forward some negative opinions on the popularization of community testing without understanding.
Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor reiterated that the universal community testing program is to provide citizens with a "willing to do all the tests" service. If citizens are unwilling, no one can force them to undergo testing. The SAR government will not impose any conditions or consequences on voluntary testing. She pointed out that Hong Kong's current social distancing measures are still the strictest since the outbreak, because confirmed cases can be found every day, and there are also small outbreaks, indicating that there are still some invisible patients in the country and there is still a risk of spreading the virus. It is hoped that the citizens of Hong Kong will be able to grasp the risk of virus transmission more clearly, whether for themselves or for their families, and to restore the economy and daily life as soon as possible.
Regarding some people who continue to discredit the popularization of the community testing program and find excuses to ask the public not to participate in the program, Carrie Lam criticized, why should they have such a heart to prevent Hong Kong citizens from participating in the program? There is only one purpose, which is to make political calculations and undermine the relationship between the central government and the SAR. (Finish)