Gov’t blames uncooperative NAT takers for crowd-building

Test takers not keeping to their booking time was the reason behind recent crowds building up at test stations, public health doctor Leong Iek Hou of Health Bureau (SSM) said at yesterday’s press conference.

However, SSM and related government bureaus abruptly retracted their guidelines on requiring casino visitors as well as casino and construction site workers to present proof of their 48-hour SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid test (NAT) results in order to gain access to the two types of locations.

The guidelines were set to be enacted at 7 a.m. today. The requirement was replaced by a requirement for negative SARS-CoV-2 rapid antigen test (RAT) results obtained on the date of intended entry to be displayed.

Yesterday morning, videos went viral on different social media platforms, showing long queues at the Qingmao Border Checkpoint and the Workers’ Stadium NAT stations. Another picture also showed long queues at the Kiang Wu Hospital test stations.

Workers in the two industries, according to media reports, feared that their NAT results may not come in time for the start of their shifts today, which was why they arrived early for their tests.

Defending the government’s moves and calling the situation “not ideal,” Leong emphasized that the fault was with the test-
takers, who did not keep to their booking time and arrived at test stations far too early.

The official was further challenged that the large size of the workforce in the two industries was known in advance, as well as the fact that the northern part of the Peninsula is traditionally busy. In fact, this part of the city is considered a “ballot warehouse” in the parliamentary election.

Cheung Kin Ian, division head at the Unitary Police Force (CPU), stepped in and responded that after receiving the news about crowding at the two NAT stations, the Public Security Police Force (PSP) was notified to encourage test-takers to use other stations instead.

Cheung noted that most test-takers were cooperative and decided to relocate to another testing station.

However, early this week, Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Elsie Ao Ieong discouraged people from crossing districts in their trips to NAT stations. She said that doing so may pose risks to test-takers and people across the city.

The panel of officials were questioned about this, but neither of the officials made any comments.

Members of the public were concerned about whether the crowding would pose a risk of further infections. To this, health officials have previously said that NAT is a preferred way to identify early infections. At the same time, preventive measures, such as social distancing and mask wearing, are in place at NAT stations.

On the question of who should be held accountable for the crowding yesterday, the public health doctor said: “I’m only a doctor and not in the position to answer who should be held accountable.”

Leong was also questioned where the director of the bureau was yesterday. Two days ago, the director emphasized to the press that the press briefing should act as a platform for the government to announce and clarify its policies and measures.

Amid such a significant policy U-turn, both journalists and social media users wondered why the director was not at the event to “announce and clarify” his policies and measures.

In response, the public health doctor said that her superintendent was working busily at the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), issuing commands on how work can be further refined.

When questioned about whether the 48-hour NAT requirement on casino visitors as well as casino and construction site workers would return, Leong said that the government was constantly evaluating the situation.