Hong Kong needs to stick to its “dynamic zero” coronavirus strategy, focused on reducing infections, severe illnesses and death, a senior Chinese health official has said, as the city braces for details of an expected mass testing plan this month, Reuters reports.

Liang Wannian from China's National Health Commission, who is in Hong Kong to coordinate efforts to battle a growing outbreak, said the mass testing needed to be done at the right time with all details carefully arranged, the official Xinhua news agency said.

“Reducing infection, severe cases and deaths is Hong Kong's most urgent and top priority at the current stage,” it quoted him as saying. “After we achieve the first target, we will then move on to the second and third goals.”

Dynamic zero does not mean zero infections with Covid transmissions so strong, Liang said. However, the city should do its best to reduce infections and take measures to cut off further transmissions.