Reporting platform runs smoothly despite rush

An IT expert said on Tuesday that a website set up to self-report Covid infections via rapid testing had operated smoothly on its first day as tens of thousands of people rushed to use it.

The reporting platform started operating at 6pm on Monday. Around three hours later, the website showed a “queuing number” of more than 240,000.

Francis Fong from the Information Technology Federation told RTHK’s Hong Kong Today programme that he’d had to wait only five to ten minutes to log on to the site. He praised the work done to build the website quickly.

“It’s pretty easy and straightforward,” he told RTHK’s Janice Wong, though he said the verification of the test and the identity of the user could be handled better.

“But I think in view of the short time, they only can do it at this moment, I hope they can actually change it better.”

Officials called on people who test positive to report the infections as quickly as possible. Those who found out they were infected between February 26 and Saturday last week will be able to declare their infections until Monday.

People declaring a positive test result are required to provide their personal information, as well as details of family members.

In the declaration form, people infected with Covid can indicate their desire to be given priority to be admitted to an isolation facility if their home is crowded.