China Strengthens Its Hold on Hong Kong Ordering Compulsory COVID Tests for All Citizens
Hong Kong has not been the same since the China coronavirus in January 2020. Stringent mandates and actions to curtail business activities have prevented the tiny country from getting back to normal and as the days go by, normal becomes less likely.
It appears that China is using COVID to punish the tiny nation whose citizens lived free until two years ago. COVID was used as a tool to punish the free citizens of Hong Kong and take away their civil liberties in ways similar in other countries.
On Tuesday Hong Kong’s CEO, Carie Lam ordered all citizens in the country to take mandatory COVID tests this next month. Hong Kong FP reports:
All Hong Kong residents will have to undergo compulsory Covid-19 testing, Chief Executive Carrie Lam announced on Tuesday. Three rounds of testing will be carried out, Lam said, and up to 1 million tests will be conducted per day.
Hundreds of testing stations will be set up across the city, and the testing order will be determined by birth years. Bookings will be required, and “caring arrangements” will be available for people to accompany elderly relatives or children.
Residents will be asked to conduct daily self-testing between each compulsory test, kits for which which will be provided. Lam said the government would look into legal issues regarding sending specimens back to mainland China for processing, but said it would not involve privacy issues…
…Lam said that the current social distancing measures, including the closure of scheduled premises such as gyms, bars, and swimming pools, and no dine-in services at eateries after 6 p.m., would be extended until April 20…
…The ban on flights from nine countries – including Australia, Canada, India, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, the UK, and the US – will be extended until April 21.
By curtailing travel from the above-listed countries, China through Lam has prevented the country from fully operating. Travel was one of Hong Kong’s main businesses as Hong Kong was the entrance to China. Since January 2020, the travel industry has been decimated in the county.
The fact that the tests will be forwarded to China indicates that China may be adding these individuals to their reported inventory of DNA gathered to date.
