The announcement of mass testing by health authorities as well as the exemption granted to those who did the test earlier on October 31 led many to rush to the nucleic acid test (NAT) stations, which were overwhelmed by the number of people.
Long lines of people waiting at the testing stations were seen yesterday immediately after the government announcement.
At the press conference from the Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre , Kong Chi Meng, director of the Education and Youth Affairs Bureau (DSEDJ) also said that after an emergency meeting yesterday afternoon between the authorities and the companies that perform NATs, as well as those responsible for logistics and other support functions , a decision was made to extend the working schedule of some stations until 11:59 p.m. Monday. This decision is intended to facilitate the work and address the potential surge of people wanting to clear their NAT sampling requirements as early as possible.
Kong also said that although school facilities will not be used this time, the services have established some 60 sampling stations that will offer 300 specimen collection points. The authorities believe this will be enough to face the anticipated demand.
The DSEDJ director said that this time, there is “some flexibility” regarding the approach to the NAT drive. He noted that if, at 11:59 p.m. today, there are still some people who are unable to complete their NAT sampling, “some sampling stations might extend their working time for one or two more hours if needed.”
Although the complete list of NAT stations was unavailable at the time of the announcement, Kong said that in most cases the additional NAT stations to be added will include places like indoor sports venues, amphitheaters, and suitable governmental buildings that have been used in previous occasions.
He also said the choices preferentially fell on places that allow good ventilation to reduce the risk of transmission among people waiting for sampling.
One of the places he noted would be used is the sports pavilion of the Escola Luso-Chinesa Técnico-Profissional, because the facility is independent of the school and can be used separately.
