The Civil Service Bureau, together with the Tuen Mun Police District and the Department of Health, conducted an enforcement operation today (September 20) at a building in Tuen Mun, which was included in a compulsory testing notice earlier. The operation commenced at around 8.30am and ended at around 11.30am today.

     Starting from around 8.30am today, staff arranged by the Government stationed at the entrances/exits of Block 6, Hanford Garden, Tuen Mun, to verify the testing certifications of persons subject to compulsory testing so as to confirm whether they had undergone testing in compliance with the requirement of the compulsory testing notice. Persons subject to compulsory testing had to present the SMS notification containing the results of COVID-19 tests or relevant proof, to prove that they had followed the requirement pursuant to the compulsory testing notice and completed the test within the specified period.
 
     During the operation, around 200 persons were checked. Among them, two persons were found to have failed to comply with the compulsory testing notice. They were subsequently issued compulsory testing orders, requiring them to undergo testing within a specified period.

     The Government expresses gratitude to most persons subject to compulsory testing who complied with the compulsory testing notices for their co-operation to fight the virus together. A Government spokesman reminded that any person who fails to comply with the compulsory testing notice commits an offence and may be fined a fixed penalty of $10,000. The Government will also issue the person concerned a compulsory testing order requiring him or her to undergo testing within a specified time frame. Failure to comply with the compulsory testing order is an offence, and the offender would be liable to a fine at level 5 ($50,000) and imprisonment for six months. The spokesman reiterated that the Government will continue to enforce the law strictly.

      Also, the Government understands that the enforcement process may cause inconvenience to some residents, and appeals for understanding. Gratitude is also extended to members of the public and relevant organisations for their support and co-operation.

     The Labour Department (LD) will hold the Job Fair for Middle-aged and Elderly Employment at MacPherson Stadium in Mong Kok on September 22 and 23 to provide many full-time and part-time job vacancies suitable for more mature job seekers.
     
     About 50 organisations will participate in the two-day job fair and offer over 3 800 job vacancies. Around 25 organisations will set up booths and conduct recruitment activities on the spot each day. A wide variety of positions will be offered including building services technical officer, assistant engineer, chef, minibus driver, health service worker, hospital contract operation assistant, technician, production worker, security guard, baker, storekeeper, shop assistant, clerk and customer service officer. Job seekers can find more information on the vacancies on the LD's Interactive Employment Service website (www.jobs.gov.hk).
     
     Around 80 per cent of the vacancies are full-time jobs and most of them offer monthly salaries ranging from $11,000 to $22,000. Over 95 per cent of the vacancies require a Secondary Six education level or below. About 65 per cent are open to job seekers without relevant work experience.
     
     Job seekers can submit job applications during the event and may be selected for on-the-spot interviews. They can also make enquiries on the employment services provided by the LD at its counter inside the venue.
     
     The job fair will be held from 11am to 5.30pm at 1/F, MacPherson Stadium, 38 Nelson Street, Mong Kok (near Exit E2 of Mong Kok MTR Station). Admission is free, with the final admission time at 5pm each day. Appropriate infection control and crowd control measures taking into account the latest epidemic developments and number of visitors will be implemented at the venue. All visitors are required to use the Vaccine Pass (Blue Code) and scan the "LeaveHomeSafe" venue QR code (except for exempted persons) to enter the event venue.

     Sham Shui Po Sports Centre, managed by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD), will open for public use on September 28 (Wednesday). It is the sixth indoor sports centre under the LCSD in Sham Shui Po District, and provides a wide range of leisure and sports facilities.

     The new sports centre is located on the second to fourth floors of Sham Shui Po Leisure and Cultural Building at 38 Sham Mong Road, and has a total area of about 5 570 square metres. Facilities include a multi-purpose arena (which can serve as two basketball courts or two volleyball courts or eight badminton courts or a handball court; and be flexibly adopted as a venue for community activities with a seating capacity of about 1 000 people), a table tennis room, a fitness room, a children's play room, and three multi-purpose activity rooms.

     Those who plan to visit Sham Shui Po Sports Centre can walk from Exit A1 of Nam Cheong MTR Station in about 10 minutes, or take various bus and minibus routes there. It will be open from 7am to 11pm daily, except on the second and fourth Mondays of each month, when it will be closed from 9am to 3pm for regular maintenance.

     Members of the public can reserve the fee-charging facilities of Sham Shui Po Sports Centre from September 22 (Thursday) via the Internet Booking Service of Leisure Link. For enquiries, please call the venue staff at 2360 2276, or visit the LCSD website (www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/index.html).

          

     A property owner was convicted and fined over $100,000 at the Tuen Mun Magistrates' Courts early this month for failing to comply with a removal order issued under the Buildings Ordinance (BO) (Cap. 123).

     The order involved several unauthorised structures of about 75 square metres in total at the external walls, ground floor, flat roof and main roof of a house at Lok Chui Street, Tuen Mun. As the unauthorised building works (UBWs) were constructed without prior approval and consent from the Buildings Department (BD), a removal order was served on the owner under section 24(1) of the BO.

     Failing to comply with the removal order, the owner was prosecuted by the BD and was fined $105,600 upon conviction at the Tuen Mun Magistrates' Courts on September 9.

     A spokesman for the BD said today (September 20), "UBWs may adversely affect the structural and fire safety of a building, leading to serious consequences. Owners must comply with the removal orders without delay. The BD will continue to take enforcement action against owners who have failed to comply with the removal orders, including instigation of prosecution, so as to ensure building safety."

     Failure to comply with a removal order without reasonable excuse is a serious offence under the BO. The maximum penalty upon conviction is one year's imprisonment and a fine of $200,000, and a further fine of $20,000 for each day that the offence continues.

     A spokesman for the Home Affairs Department (HAD) said today (September 14) that to encourage the early vaccination of the young and old, the HAD's 18 District Offices have stepped up COVID-19 vaccination activities in various districts since August so as to enable citizens of all ages, especially children and the elderly who are more vulnerable to serious infection, to be vaccinated as early as possible to obtain the much needed proper protection for themselves and others under the severe epidemic situation. 

     Since August, District Offices under the HAD, together with various units such as school liaison committees, primary school heads associations, kindergarten heads associations in various districts, district health centres, rural committees, women's groups, Kaifong associations, clansman associations and Hong Kong Community Anti-Coronavirus Link have jointly held around 40 vaccination activities at community halls and other locations in the districts to provide citizens with one more convenient and quick way for receiving vaccination. As at September 13, around 6 600 citizens including about 320 young children aged from 6 months to 3 years and close to 1 300 elderly persons aged 70 or above were vaccinated in these activities.

     In addition, District Offices have organised activities like talks, visits to schools and welfare and local organisations, as well as distribution of publicity pamphlets, etc, to promote vaccination among the public. Since August, a total of about 30 such activities have been conducted, reaching over 25 000 man times. 

     Increasing the vaccination rate plays an important part in anti-epidemic work. The Home Affairs Department thanked all sectors of the community for fighting against the epidemic in solidarity and providing support to vaccination activities organised by various District Offices, such that citizens can be vaccinated as early as possible and high-risk groups can obtain effective protection. The District Offices will continue to hold vaccination activities at various districts to enable citizens to receive vaccination.