An extra 300,000 COVID-19 test kits will be donated to Hong Kong to help alleviate the city’s rapid test kit shortage, Hong Kong-headquartered C-MER Eye Care Holdings Ltd. and Shenzhen-based Shenzhen YHLO Biotech Co. announced Tuesday.
Last week, the two companies donated 300,000 COVID test kits to Hong Kong residents through several charitable and nonprofit organizations. The test kits were intended for high-risk groups such as nursing home employees, sanitation workers, security staff, and taxi and bus drivers.
“We have received positive feedback after we and YHLO were committed to donating 300,000 COVID-19 test kits to Hong Kong citizens last week and completed the donation in just a few days, underscoring that our donation was timely help for many charities,” said Dennis Lam, chairman and CEO of C-MER Eye Care.
“We and YHLO decided to donate an additional 300,000 test kits to help more people in need, and to do our best to alleviate the current shortage of rapid test kits,” Lam added.
The new batch of test kits will be delivered to Hong Kong Taxi Council, Hong Chi Association, Fu Hong Society, Special Educational Needs & Parents Association, Hong Kong Single Parents Association, the Hong Kong Asthma Society, Families of SMA Charitable Trust and The Church of Christ in China Hop Yat Church.
The YHLO-developed rapid self-testing kits are easy to use and test results can be obtained in as little as 15 minutes, according to YHLO. The test kits have received a CE certification, an EU safety directive and permission to be marketed in Japan.
In a video message to Hong Kong on Monday, Zhong Nanshan, an academician from the Chinese Academy of Engineering, said he believes Hong Kong will win the battle against its current wave of COVID-19 with support from the Chinese mainland.
“All government departments, business circles, public and private hospitals, and the general public should unite and cooperate in the fight against the pandemic,” Zhong said in the video.