An elderly man donning face mask rests on a bench at Langham Place, Hong Kong. (PARKER ZHENG/CHINA DAILY)

HONG KONG - Senior residents in Hong Kong can continue to receive free rapid antigen test kits from the government as it extends the program until end-June amid the fifth wave of COVID-19.

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In a statement issued on Friday, a spokesman for the government explained that in light of the gradual relaxation of social distancing rules, it will continue to give away RAT kits to senior citizens aged 60 or above in a bid to encourage them to undergo voluntary COVID-19 testing.

Around 6 million RAT kits have been distributed by the government to senior citizens through various elderly service units since such an arrangement was launched in mid-April.

To collect the free kits, elderly citizens aged at least 60 can visit one of the designated service units. They should bring along their identification documents, Senior Citizen Cards or JoyYou Cards for verification.

To benefit more elderly people, only five sets of RAT kits will be provided each time. Recipients should not collect the RAT kits repeatedly on the same day or on behalf of other people, the spokesman said.

Recipients should not collect the RAT kits repeatedly on the same day or on behalf of other people, the spokesman said

The spokesperson added that despite the epidemic situation having stabilized recently, the public, particularly the elderly, must continue to stay alert given that the Omicron variant is highly transmissible. 

Senior citizens of the same age group can also receive free nucleic acid tests at community testing centers and mobile specimen collection stations without prior booking. 

Locations for collecting free RAT kits:

* District Health Centers (DHCs) and DHC Expresses under the Primary Healthcare Office of the Food and Health Bureau;

* District Elderly Community Centers/Neighborhood Elderly Centers/Social Centers for the Elderly subsidized by the Social Welfare Department;

* Elderly Health Centers under the Department of Health; and

* District-based Chinese Medicine Clinics cum Training and Research Centers (with visiting patients as the primary target recipients) operating on a tripartite collaboration model involving the Hospital Authority, non-government organizations, and a local university.

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