HONG KONG, March 9, 2022 (BSS/AFP) - Hong Kong's leader said Wednesday that
mandatory Covid testing was not a priority, after announcing last month that
the government intended to screen its more than 7.3 million residents for the
virus.

   Two weeks ago Carrie Lam had said all residents would need to undergo
three rounds of compulsory testing -- setting off alarm in the densely
populated city currently in the throes of a deadly Omicron-fuelled wave.

   But Wednesday's announcement marked a roll-back, as authorities have now
pivoted to using rapid tests -- instead of PCR tests -- to determine the
city's estimated cases, Lam said.

   "A large number of (rapid tests) are already being used... which has
already allowed us to understand Hong Kong's situation pretty well," she
said.

   "What we are doing now is planning and preparation but it's not a priority
for now," she said, adding that the plan for universal testing has not been
nixed.

   Despite two years of hard-won breathing room thanks to the mainland's
zero-Covid strategy, Hong Kong now has one of the world's highest fatality
rates.

   The majority of the deaths are elderly, among the most vaccine-hesitant in
the city -- fewer than 60 percent of people 70 and above have received two
jabs.

   Health experts -- including Hong Kong's top pandemic adviser -- have
expressed doubts over the effectiveness of mass testing, especially since the
city currently lacks sufficient isolation facilities.