HONG KONG has begun a free universal COVID-19 testing program, despite criticism that it is not effective and could be misused for surveillance.
The voluntary mass testing is being conducted with the help of medical staff from mainland China.
A health workers union has criticized the effort as an inefficient waste of resources while activists have said it could be used to collect DNA samples.
Authorities have dismissed the criticism as a smear campaign.
So far, Hong Kong managed to keep the virus at a comparatively low level with just under 5,000 confirmed infections.
But there are fears that several smaller waves might lead to a larger outbreak which could then spiral out of control.
Authorities hope the universal testing effort will give an accurate picture of the spread and help to contain the pandemic.
Testing got under way on Tuesday with more than half a million residents so far having registered. Hong Kong has a population of about 7.5 million.
Health workers are taking samples at more than 140 collection centers across the city. (BBC)
