Lam pointed out, however, the universal testing does not necessarily mean that there will be complete city lockdowns.
Lam stated that after examining the particular situation in Hong Kong, "we probably will just go to universal testing of everybody but testing more often," while citing Macao's repeated universal testing for 600,000.
Lam also announced that the May 8th Chief Executive Election will be delayed from March 27 through May 8, in order to allow the government to address rising case volumes.
Lam stated that Lam made the decision based on the current situation. Lam noted that this is a new situation. Lam stated that the situation was very serious and aggravating. The government must use all its resources to combat the epidemic to safeguard the health of Hong Kong citizens. We can't afford to be distracted and we can't afford to make mistakes.
This decision comes at a critical time for the city. According to The Associated Press, health officials stated this week that 90% of hospitals are fully operational and that daily new cases have surpassed 2,000 for the first week. According to the Associated Press, 6,116 cases were reported in the city on Thursday.
The Beijing government's "zero COVID" policy (which includes quarantining travellers, implementing total lockdowns and comprehensive testing) is reflected in this decision, according to The Associated Press.
Lam stated, "I appeal to Hong Kongers to remain positive and confident that we can overcome this public health crisis."
