The Education Bureau (EDB) said on Friday that school students and teachers will be required to continue taking rapid Covid tests every day in the new academic year, until further notice.

"As the daily rapid antigen test (RAT) arrangement helps with gatekeeping at school, after listening to the views of the Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health, the EDB considered it necessary for schools to maintain the daily RAT arrangement in the new school year until further notice," it said in a statement.

The bureau said it will keep distributing test kits to needy students.

Half-day face-to-face classes will also continue in the new academic year.

Secondary schools that have all their staff fully vaccinated and a student inoculation rate of at least 90 percent may arrange full-day sessions.

The bureau called on pupils to get triple-jabbed as soon as possible.

The Centre for Health Protection reported 4,223 new local coronavirus cases and 205 imported infections on Friday.