Coronavirus: hurdles for Hong Kong voluntary mass testing amid scepticism from some, elderly’s uncertainty with online system
- Many among the elderly are unsure how to use the government’s online self-reporting platform, others find the scheme futile
- Chief Executive Carrie Lam had called for Hongkongers to take part in a three-day self-testing drive from April 8 to 10
Hong Kong kicked off a three-day voluntary mass coronavirus testing exercise on Friday in an attempt to sever community transmission chains amid the city’s fifth wave of infections, but resistance and challenges had already surfaced.
Some among the elderly lamented it as pointless since they were “dying anyway”, while a community group said it expected many to not know how to make a report online should they test positive for Covid-19.
In the lead-up to the three-day exercise that started on Friday, the Society for Community Organisation reached out to thousands of seniors and taught them how to use rapid antigen test (RAT) kits. WhatsApp videos were also put together for the more tech-savvy ones to view on their smartphones.
However, reception among the elderly has been mixed.
Sze Lai-shan, the organisation’s deputy director, said the government’s self-reporting platform could be a stumbling block for elderly people unfamiliar with technology.
