Hong Kong's government has said any decision to impose a Covid-19 lockdown would take into account the global financial hub's status and ensure basic needs, and it urged anxious residents who thronged supermarkets this week not to panic.

The government said it was still planning and “refining” a compulsory mass Covid testing scheme and would announce details when they had been confirmed, Reuters reported.

The government would “safeguard the status of Hong Kong as a financial centre when implementing the Compulsory Universal Testing scheme (CUT)”, it said.

“The experience of implementing a CUT initiative in other parts of the world shows that the basic needs of citizens such as food, necessities and the seeking of medical attention outside home should be addressed.”