The Government yesterday (May 20) exercised the power under the Prevention and Control of Disease (Compulsory Testing for Certain Persons) Regulation (Cap. 599J) to make a "restriction-testing declaration" effective from 6pm yesterday, under which people (hereafter referred to as "persons subject to compulsory testing") within the specified "restricted area" in Siu Sai Wan (i.e. Ngar Tsui House, Hiu Tsui Court, Siu Sai Wan) were required to stay in their premises and undergo compulsory testing. Persons subject to compulsory testing are required to stay in their premises until all such persons identified in the "restricted area" have undergone testing and the test results are mostly ascertained.
In addition, the Government issued a compulsory testing notice yesterday to any person who had been present at the building for more than two hours from May 14 to 20, 2022 to undergo compulsory testing on or before May 22, 2022, even if they were not present in the "restricted area" at the time when the declaration took effect. The Government finished the compulsory testing exercise at around 8am today (May 21) and is now carrying out enforcement actions in the "restricted area" to verify that all people in the "restricted area" have undergone compulsory testing. The Government will further announce the revocation time of the declaration.
Starting from around 8am today, persons in the specified "restricted area" in Siu Sai Wan who have undergone testing and are able to present SMS notifications with negative test results as proof of having undergone testing may leave the "restricted area" through the designated exit after providing personal information to a prescribed officer.
The Government set up temporary specimen collection stations in the "restricted area" yesterday and requested persons subject to compulsory testing to collect combined nasal and throat swab samples at the stations to undergo a COVID-19 virus test before 12am today. Around 750 people within the "restricted area" had undergone testing, among which no cases tested positive were found. The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health will arrange to follow up.
Moreover, the Government also assigned staff to visit around 330 households within the "restricted area", among which 37 households did not answer the door. The Government will take measures to follow up.
The Government reiterates that enforcement actions will be taken seriously. Any person who fails to present an SMS notification with a test result as proof of having undergone testing breaches the compulsory testing notice and may be liable to a fine of $10,000. The person will also be issued with a compulsory testing order, requiring him/her to undergo testing within a specified time frame. Failure to comply with the compulsory testing order or the "restriction-testing declaration" is an offence and the offender would be liable to a fine at level 5 ($50,000) and imprisonment for six months.
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