Covid: Hong Kong imposes three mandatory screening tests on all its residents

The entire population of Hong Kong must undergo three rounds of coronavirus tests, the leader of the city, which is in the grip of the worst wave of Covid-19 since the start of the pandemic, said on Tuesday.

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," assured Chief Executive Carrie Lam, while announcing that mainland Chinese officials were now coordinating the territory's anti-Covid policy.

The city, one of the most densely populated in the world, is facing a fifth wave of Covid-19, the worst since the start of the pandemic, recording thousands of infections every day.

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,” Lam told reporters, adding that the head of the Beijing liaison office, Xi Baolong, will be at the helm of the territory's health policy.

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Under these new rules, the 7.4 million residents will have to undergo three rounds of mandatory tests in March.

Testing will be spread over several days and residents will also be required to undergo rapid home antigen testing daily.

Schools and many businesses such as gyms, bars and beauty salons will remain closed until the end of April, while schools will be turned into coronavirus testing centres.

Flights from nine countries, including Britain, the United States and France, will remain banned.

Carrie Lam also confirmed that Hong Kong will stick to a policy of trying to isolate all people who test positive for coronavirus,