As part of a follow-up on the recent identification of the COVID-19 virus in sewage samples, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government said Sunday that it will release a new batch of roughly 170,000 sets of COVID-19 rapid antigen test (RAT) kits in selected metropolitan regions.

The test kits will be delivered to homeowners, cleaning crews, and property management personnel who operate in regions with positive sewage testing results revealing relatively high virus loads, according to the statement.

The HKSAR government also asked RAT kit users to use the government’s web site to submit any positive COVID-19 results.

In order to tackle COVID-19, the HKSAR government’s Environmental Protection Department and Drainage Services Department have increased sewage sampling for COVID-19 viral testing in all districts of Hong Kong.

Official statistics indicated that Hong Kong had 94 new COVID-19 cases confirmed by nucleic acid testing on Sunday, and 143 more cases confirmed by self-reported fast antigen tests.