HK continues Covid tracing through sewage surveillance

Hong Kong, May 30 (IANS) The Hong Kong government announced that the Covid-19 virus continues to be detected in sewage samples from different areas in the city, indicating that there may be hidden cases.

About 240,000 Covid-19 rapid antigen test (RAT) kits will be distributed to residents, cleaning workers, and property management staff working in the areas with positive sewage testing results showing relatively high viral loads, in order to help identify infected people, Xinhua news agency quoted the government as saying.

It also urged RAT kit users to report any positive results for the virus via the government's online platform.

In order to combat the disease, the government's Environmental Protection Department and the Drainage Services Department have strengthened the sampling of sewage in all districts of Hong Kong for Covid-19 virus testing.

In the last 24 hours, Hong Kong registered 108 new Covid-19 cases by nucleic acid tests, and 129 additional cases through self-reported RATs.

Since the outbreak of the pandemic in early 2020, Hong Kong has registered a total of 1,212,095 cases and 9,376 deaths.