Hong Kong’s daily Covid-19 rapid antigen test (RAT) requirement for students is “likely to be removed” by next month if the pandemic situation stabilises, the city’s education chief has said.
Secretary for Education Christine Choi Yuk-lin on Saturday told a radio programme that authorities would review the RAT policy for schools, which was earlier extended to February 28.
“We will assess whether schools have operated smoothly [following the resumption of full-day, in-person classes] and also gauge the pandemic situation with consideration of experts’ views to decide if the rule can be lifted,” she said.
The government has faced mounting calls from parents and health experts to lift the mandatory test for students after the city rolled back coronavirus restrictions in December, including screenings for inbound travellers and social-distancing curbs.
As part of the wider policy change, all secondary schools from February 1 have resumed classes on campus regardless of their inoculation rate, with primary schools and kindergartens to follow suit from February 15.
“We will make a decision and let the school sector know as soon as possible if there is any new arrangement,” Choi said of dropping the RAT policy for students.
She added that the coronavirus situation locally had been quite “stable” and the test requirement was “likely” to be removed if the status quo was maintained.
