Smooth Start For Second Round Of Helper Testing
"); jQuery("#212 h3").html("

"); });
2021-05-16 HKT 14:45
A second round of mandatory testing for Hong Kong's foreign domestic helpers got under way on Sunday, with those undergoing Covid checks reporting none of the long queues and chaos seen at the start of the previous mass testing exercise.
Helpers taking their day off in Admiralty said they'd been able to book tests online and take them without a wait, and no queues were seen at centres in the area. All helpers must take a test by May 30, except for those who've taken both doses of the vaccine at least two weeks previously.
"The line is ok, so fast. The first time it was so crowded, but this time I think we all have bookings online and then it's ok for us," said one helper.
Another helper said she was not worried because she had just taken her second dose of a Covid vaccine.
"I took this vaccination because I want to have safety for myself, and especially for my work. Here it's ok, it's not too crowded."
Two other helpers said they hadn't been vaccinated yet because they had heard reports of people getting sick after inoculation. But they said they would consider a jab even if the government did not make it mandatory.
A previous mass-testing exercise earlier this month saw 340,000 helpers tested and three positive cases confirmed.
The government announced a repeat of the mass testing after it dropped plans to make vaccination a condition of visa renewals for domestic helpers.
Officials had urged helpers to book a test online and encouraged employers to give them time out during the week.
The call follows chaotic scenes on the first weekend of the month as thousands of helpers queued for hours to take a test on a public holiday and their regular Sunday day off.
StartmeupHK Festival And Hong Kong Fintech Week 2025 Merge For 10th Anniversary Milestone
Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK) announced on 10 March 2025 that both of its flagship events, Hong Kong Fintech Week 2025 an... Read more
Ant AI-Powered Health Insurance Processes 7.25M Claims In 2024, 55%YoY Increase
In 2024, Ant Insurance, the online insurance brokerage platform of Ant Group, processed 7.25 million health claims, mar... Read more
Ping An Talent Uses AI For Job Matching, But Can Technology Make Recruitment Fairer?
Ping An Insurance (Group) Company of China, Ltd. has launched its 2025 Spring Campus Recruitment, offering over 2,000 p... Read more
HKEX Partners With CMU OmniClear To Boost Post-Trade Securities Infrastructure
Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX) announced on 4 March 2025 that it signed a Memorandum of Understanding ... Read more
PAObank Secures Insurance Agency Licence, Partners With Ping An And FWD Hong Kong
PAO Bank Limited (PAObank) has received its Insurance Agency Licence from the Insurance Authority and signed strategic ... Read more
IFAST Launches Self-Service Accounts For Hong Kong Family Offices
Fintech solutions provider iFAST HK launches self-service accounts in Hong Kong, catering to the growing demand for ind... Read more