- Hong Kong starts free coronavirus testing for all its residents in the Asian financial hub.
- The mainland Chinese-led initiative face scepticism from the city’s medical community and public.
- The issue comes at a sensitive time with many of Hong Kong’s 7.5 million residents see as Beijing’s efforts to rein in their freedoms.
- 6000,000 people sign up for the free testing and people line up at the 141 centres across the city.
- A Hong Kong pro-democracy union of healthcare workers and several activists boycott of the scheme.
According to Reuters news report by Farah Master, Hong Kong begins China-led mass coronavirus testing with critics urging boycott. The volume of testing is due to increase to 500,000 a day from about 12,000 previously.
The politically charged issue
The scheme emerges as a politically charged issue. Authorities in Hong Kong and China say critics are trying to smear the central government.
According to the Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam, the testing is necessary to find invisible transmissions within society. She urges medical workers to treat the testing “objectively and professionally.”
The national security law
The issue comes at a sensitive time with anxiety running high about what many of Hong Kong’s 7.5 million residents see as Beijing’s efforts to rein in their freedoms. In particular with a national security law imposed in June.
Lam said Hong Kong’s executive, legislative and judicial powers are derived from Beijing.
The number of new daily cases has fallen to single- or low double-digits, from triple-digits during the latest surge in cases a few weeks ago.
People’s DNA will be collected
Democracy activists say people’s DNA will be collected and abused under the cover of testing. The government dismisses saying no samples would be taken out of the city.
“Doing the testing will set my mind and others’ at ease,” said a 68-year old woman surnamed Cheung, as she queued outside a sports centre used for testing.
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Source: Reuters
