The Government will exercise the power under the Prevention and Control of Disease (Compulsory Testing for Certain Persons) Regulation (Cap. 599J) and publish in the Gazette a compulsory testing notice, which requires any person who had been present at two specified premises during specified periods to undergo a COVID-19 nucleic acid test.
A spokesman for the Food and Health Bureau (FHB) said today (December 17), "Upon contact tracing by the Centre for Health Protection (CHP), a number of confirmed cases not epidemiologically linked to each other were recently found in certain places within a short period of time. Members of the public who had been to the relevant places might be subject to higher infection risks. The Government will publish a compulsory testing notice under Cap. 599J, which requires persons who had been to any of the specified premises during the specified periods to undergo testing immediately."
"The Government published on December 9 a compulsory testing notice, requiring any person who had been present at Block 8 of Kwai Shing West Estate, Kwai Chung for more than two hours during the specified period to undergo testing by December 14. In view of the possible long incubation period of the virus, the relevant persons have to undergo a second test."
Details are as follows:
1. Any person who had been present at Glow Spa and Salon located at 8/F, Silver Fortune Plaza, 1 Wellington Street, Central at any time during the period from December 8 to December 17, 2020 (including but not limited to visitors and workers) have to undergo testing by December 22, 2020
2. Any person who had been present at Block 8 of Kwai Shing West Estate, Kwai Chung, for more than two hours at any time during the period from November 17 to December 9, 2020 (including but not limited to visitors, residents and workers) have to undergo testing during the period from December 18 to December 22, 2020
Persons subject to compulsory testing may choose to undergo testing as below:
1. To obtain a deep throat saliva specimen collection pack from any of the 121 post offices, vending machines set up at 10 MTR stations or 47 designated general outpatient clinics (GOPCs) of the Hospital Authority and return the specimen to the designated specimen collection points (see the distribution points and time, and the specimen collection points and time at www.coronavirus.gov.hk/eng/early-testing.html);
2. To self-arrange testing provided by private laboratories recognised by the Department of Health (see the list at www.coronavirus.gov.hk/pdf/List_of_recognised_laboratories_RTPCR.pdf);
3. To attend any community testing centres (see the list at www.communitytest.gov.hk/en/);
4. To visit any mobile specimen collection stations (see the list and target groups (if applicable) at www.coronavirus.gov.hk/eng/early-testing.html) for testing; or
5. To undergo testing at any healthcare facilities of the Hospital Authority (including GOPCs and accident and emergency departments) as instructed by a medical professional of the Hospital Authority.
"If persons who are subject to compulsory testing have symptoms, they should seek medical attention immediately and undergo testing as instructed by a medical professional. They should not attend the community testing centres."
Persons who had been to specified premises 1 and are subject to compulsory testing must report the result of the test or submit the test report to the Government by phone (6275 6901), fax (2530 5872) or email (ct@csb.gov.hk) by December 25. If the relevant persons who are subject to compulsory testing have previously undergone the above mentioned test between December 13 and December 17, they would be taken to have complied with the requirements set out in the compulsory testing notice.
Persons who had been to specified premises 2 and are subject to testing must keep the SMS (mobile phone text message) notification containing the result of the test, the Attendance Certificate, the Discharge Note, or the test report for checking by a law enforcement officer when the officer requires the persons to provide information about their undergoing the specified test.
Furthermore, persons who are subject to testing should, as far as reasonably practicable, take appropriate personal disease prevention measures including wearing a mask and maintaining hand hygiene; and unless for the purpose of undergoing the specified test, stay at their place of residence or private premises and avoid going to their workplace until the test result is ascertained as far as possible.
Any enquiries on compulsory testing arrangements may be addressed to the hotline at 6275 6901 which operates daily from 9am to 6pm. If persons who are subject to compulsory testing plan to conduct testing at any of the community testing centres, they can check the centre's appointment status in advance. The hotlines of the community testing centres are at www.communitytest.gov.hk/en/info/.
The Government will continue to trace possibly infected persons who had been to the relevant premises, and seriously verify whether they had complied with the testing notice. Any person who fails to comply with the testing notice commits an offence and may be fined a fixed penalty of $5,000. The person would also be issued with a compulsory testing order requiring him/her to undergo testing within a specified timeframe. Failure to comply with the order is an offence and the offender would be liable to a fine at level 4 ($25,000) and imprisonment for six months.
The spokesman said, "The Government urges all individuals who are in doubt about their own health conditions, or individuals with infection risks (such as individuals who visited places with epidemic outbreaks or contacted confirmed cases) to undergo testing promptly for early identification of infected persons. The FHB will publish compulsory testing notices regarding particular groups when necessary taking into account the epidemic development and the testing participation rate."
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