Author Archives: hksar gov

     â€‹The Home Affairs Department will continue to open 18 community halls/community centres as temporary heat shelters today (September 5).
 
     The temporary heat shelters will remain open for people to take refuge from the heat when the Very Hot Weather Warning is in force. From 10.30pm to 8am the next day, the temporary heat shelters will also provide bedding and a sleeping place for people in need. The shelters are manned by duty attendants.
 
     In light of the implementation of mandatory use of the “LeaveHomeSafe” mobile application when entering government premises, all persons are required to use the app to scan the venue QR code before they are allowed to enter temporary heat shelters, except for exempted persons (including persons who are aged below 12 or aged 65 or above, persons with disabilities that render use of the app difficult and persons without smartphones). All exempted persons are required to complete a prescribed form to register their personal particulars, contact phone number and the date and time of entry. The staff will verify the information provided.
 
     For further information, please call the department’s hotline before midnight on 2572 8427.
 
     The heat shelters are located at:
 
Hong Kong Island:
———————
 
Central and Western –
Sai Ying Pun Community Complex Community Hall
3/F, Sai Ying Pun Community Complex
2 High Street, Sai Ying Pun
 
Eastern –
Causeway Bay Community Centre
3/F, 7 Fook Yum Road, Causeway Bay
 
Southern –
Wah Kwai Community Centre
Wah Kwai Estate, Kellett Bay
 
Wan Chai –
Wan Chai Activities Centre
LG/F, Wan Chai Market, 258 Queen’s Road East, Wan Chai
 
Kowloon Districts:
——————
 
Kowloon City –
Hung Hom Community Hall
1/F, Kowloon City Government Offices
42 Bailey Street, Hung Hom
 
Kwun Tong –
Lam Tin (West) Estate Community Centre
71 Kai Tin Road, Lam Tin
 
Sham Shui Po –
Shek Kip Mei Community Hall
G/F, Block 42, Shek Kip Mei Estate, Sham Shui Po
 
Wong Tai Sin –
Tsz Wan Shan (South) Estate Community Centre
45 Wan Wah Street, Tsz Wan Shan
 
Yau Tsim Mong –
Henry G Leong Yaumatei Community Centre
60 Public Square Street, Yau Ma Tei
 
New Territories Districts:
————————–
 
Islands –
Tung Chung Community Hall
G/F, Tung Chung Municipal Services Building, 39 Man Tung Road, Tung Chung
 
Kwai Tsing –
Kwai Shing Community Hall
Podium, Block 6, Kwai Shing West Estate, Kwai Chung
 
North –
Cheung Wah Community Hall
Cheung Wah Estate, Fanling
 
Sai Kung –
Chi Shin Activity Centre
G/F, Tseung Kwan O South Ancillary Facilities Block, 5 Chi Shin Street, Tseung Kwan O
 
Sha Tin –
Lung Hang Estate Community Centre
Lung Hang Estate, Sha Tin
 
Tai Po –
Tai Po Community Centre
2 Heung Sze Wui Street, Tai Po
 
Tsuen Wan –
Lei Muk Shue Community Hall
G/F, Hong Shue House, Lei Muk Shue Estate, Tsuen Wan
 
Tuen Mun –
Wu Shan Road Community Hall
101 Wu Shan Road, Tuen Mun
 
Yuen Long –
Long Ping Community Hall
Long Ping Estate, Yuen Long
 
    In addition to the above heat shelters, a number of community halls/community centres can also be used for taking refuge from the heat during their operating hours. For their address details, please browse the following document: www.had.gov.hk/file_manager/en/documents/public_services/emergency_services/List_CH_CC_Day_E.pdf. read more

The following is issued on behalf of the Environmental Campaign Committee:

     The Environmental Campaign Committee (ECC) today (September 5) launched the Pilot Scheme for Lending of Reusable Meal Containers, which operates under the “ben don go!” name, in seven universities to promote a plastic-free takeaway culture. The participating universities are City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Baptist University, Lingnan University, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, the Education University of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University and the University of Hong Kong. 

     Under the Pilot Scheme, participants can borrow reusable meal containers for free at university service points after registering with a university identification card, or by making a deposit of $20 per container with an Octopus card. After use, participants do not need to wash the meal containers, but they must empty all food from them before returning them to the service point, where deposits can be collected by Octopus card. The used meal containers will be washed and sterilised every day by university caterers or a professional tableware washing company appointed by the ECC.

     Through the convenience brought about by the Pilot Scheme, the ECC hopes to encourage the public to develop the good habit of bringing their own reusable containers to buy takeaway food and reducing the use of disposable plastic cutlery. The Pilot Scheme also serves as a demonstration for private companies and schools, encouraging them to provide similar meal container lending services for their staff and students, and to practise a plastic-free takeaway culture in different sectors.

     The ECC launched the Pilot Scheme at two testing locations, namely Revenue Tower in Wan Chai and D•PARK in Tsuen Wan, last year when meal containers were lent out nearly 4 000 times in total. This year, the ECC is expanding the Pilot Scheme to universities, encouraging teachers, students and staff to bring their own meal containers and reduce the use of disposable plastic cutlery.

     For more information on the Pilot Scheme, please refer to the ECC’s website (www.ecc.org.hk/en/publicity/bendongo.html).

    

     The Government today (September 5) 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 5pm, under which people (hereafter referred to as “persons subject to compulsory testing”) within the specified “restricted area” in Yau Tong (i.e. Chak Mei House, Yau Mei Court, Yau Tong, and a designated area on the podium; excluding levels below the podium. See Annex.) are 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. The Government aims at finishing this exercise at around 9am tomorrow (September 6). The operation may be extended depending on test results.

     A Government spokesman said, “Under Cap. 599J, the Government can, according to the needs of infection control, make a ‘restriction-testing declaration’. Having reviewed a basket of factors, including the viral load in sewage, the information of relevant positive cases, and other circumstantial factors; and conducted a risk assessment, the Government decided to make a ‘restriction-testing declaration’ for the concerned area.”

     The Government will set up temporary specimen collection stations at the “restricted area” and request persons subject to compulsory testing to undergo testing before 11pm today. Arrangements will be made for persons subject to compulsory testing to undergo a nucleic acid test at specimen collection stations where dedicated staff will collect samples through combined nasal and throat swabs. Persons subject to compulsory testing must stay at their place of residence until all test results are ascertained to avoid cross-infection risk. The Government will make arrangement to facilitate specimen collection for people with impaired mobility. All persons in the “restricted area” who have tested positive in the past 14 days, including positive cases identified either by nucleic acid tests recorded by the Department of Health (DH) or by rapid antigen tests that have been self-declared to the DH, are not required to undergo testing in this compulsory testing exercise.

     The Government spokesman said, “We understand that this exercise will cause inconvenience to the public. The Government has made arrangements to carry out testing for all persons present in the ‘restricted area’ as soon as possible. The aim is to strive to complete testing of all identified persons subject to compulsory testing and confirm the results, and finish the exercise at around 9am tomorrow. The Government will make a public announcement when the declaration expires officially. In the cases in which employees are unable to go to work because of the declaration, the Government hopes their employers can exercise discretion and not deduct the salaries or benefits of the employees.”

     If staying in the “restricted area” will cause unreasonable hardship to individuals who are not residents in the area when the declaration takes effect, government officers may exercise discretion and allow that person to leave the area after considering the individual circumstances. That person must have followed the instructions to undergo testing and leave his/her personal information for contact purposes.

     According to the compulsory testing notice to be issued today, any persons other than those specified above who had been present at the above building for more than two hours from August 30 to September 5, 2022, even if they were not present in the “restricted area” at the time when the declaration took effect, must undergo compulsory testing on or before September 7, 2022. As a mutant strain is involved, for prudence’s sake, vaccinated persons and persons who have recently been tested are also required to undergo testing.

     The Government appeals to persons subject to compulsory testing for their full co-operation by registering and undergoing testing, and waiting for the results patiently at home. The Government will strictly follow up on whether the persons concerned have complied with the compulsory testing notices and “restriction-testing declaration”. Any person who fails to comply with the compulsory testing notices commits an offence and may be fined a fixed penalty of $10,000. The person would also be issued with a compulsory testing order requiring him or 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. read more

     The effective exchange rate index for the Hong Kong dollar on Monday, September 5, 2022 is 103.1 (up 0.3 against last Saturday’s index).

     The effective exchange rate index for the Hong Kong dollar on Saturday, September 3, 2022 was 102.8 (up 0.1 against last Friday’s index). read more

     A man who went missing in Sau Mau Ping has been located.      Chung Chi-yuen, aged 57, went missing after he was last seen at MTR Kowloon Bay Station on August 7 morning. His family made a repor… read more