With a view to further facilitating members of the public receiving walk-in emergency dental services, the Department of Health (DH) today (September 3) said that a "Preliminary registration" arrangement would be in place starting from next Monday (September 5) at its six dental clinics providing such services located in Hong Kong, Kowloon and the New Territories (except those at outlying islands) to avoid patients queueing overnight as far as practicable.

     From September 5, four relevant dental clinics (Kennedy Town Community Complex Dental Clinic, Tsuen Wan Dental Clinic, Yan Oi Dental Clinic and Yuen Long Government Offices Dental Clinic) would preliminarily register personal information for the patients and verify the original of their identity document starting at 0.00am on the day of providing general public dental services. Each person can only register once. Staff would cease the preliminary registration when the number of registered persons reached the quota of the general public sessions. Those who have finished preliminary registration do not have to continue waiting. They can leave the clinic immediately and return to the relevant clinic at the original disc-distributing time in the morning on the same day to obtain a disc and register formally. Kwun Tong Dental Clinic and Kowloon City Dental Clinic will arrange "Preliminary registration" from September 14 and 15 respectively. The DH has recruited additional staff to maintain order.

     Notices detailing the new arrangement and logistics have been displayed at conspicuous locations of the clinics. The addresses and time of operation of the relevant dental clinics can be viewed at website www.dh.gov.hk/english/tele/tele_chc/tele_chc_dcgps.html.

     The DH has earlier rolled out trial run of the aforementioned preliminary registration arrangement at three dental clinics (namely Kennedy Town Community Complex Dental Clinic, Tsuen Wan Dental Clinic and Yuen Long Government Offices Dental Clinic) with satisfactory result.

     The DH will continue its active review on how to further improve the operation of general public dental services and will extend the preliminary registration arrangement to the three remaining dental clinics in the urban area in accordance with the manpower and actual operational situation.

     The dental clinics under the DH are mainly responsible for providing dental benefits for civil servants/pensioners and their eligible dependents as required of the Government as terms of employment for civil servants, and therefore civil servants/pensioners and their eligible dependents are the major service targets of these clinics. Currently, dental care services in Hong Kong are mainly provided by the private sector and non-governmental organisations. The DH provides general public sessions to offer free emergency dental treatments (including General Public Sessions to provide treatment of acute dental diseases, prescription for pain relief, treatment of oral abscess and teeth extraction) to the public through designated sessions in 11 government dental clinics of the DH.

     A spokesman for the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) said today (September 3) that the FEHD and the Police continued to step up their inspections to take stringent enforcement actions territory-wide against premises operators, staff and customers in bars/pubs, other catering premises and certain other premises that defy the anti-epidemic regulations, through its respective inspections and joint operations, yesterday (September 2) till small hours today. The spokesman said that given the continuous deterioration of recent epidemic situation, enforcement departments will proactively take stringent enforcement actions on an ongoing basis. Premises operators and the public are urged not to defy the law, but to work together to reduce the risk of virus transmission in the community.
      
     The spokesman reminds parties concerned to strictly comply with the requirements and directions under the Prevention and Control of Disease (Requirements and Directions) (Business and Premises) Regulation (Cap. 599F) (Cap. 599F Regulation), and the Prevention and Control of Disease (Vaccine Pass) Regulation (Cap. 599L) etc., including the requirement on the Red Code and Amber Code under the Vaccine Pass.
      
     The spokesman stresses that customers of catering premises participating in a banquet activity have to comply with the rapid antigen test requirement. The seven-day adaptation period for the operators of catering premises will be expired today. Operators are required to make preparation as early as possible.
      
     The enforcement figures of the FEHD and the Police yesterday are as follows:
 

 
     Moreover, the FEHD and the Police also required the premises to take corresponding measures for reducing the risk of transmission. Premises found with irregularities had to, on the subsequent day of being identified of the irregularities by the enforcement officers, cease selling or supplying food or drink for consumption on the premises from 6pm to 4.59am of the subsequent day, and allow no more than two persons to be seated together at one table, for a period of three, seven or 14 days or closure of the premises for 14 days. The details of the case numbers are as follows:
  

 
     If a person responsible for carrying on a catering business contravenes the Cap. 599F Regulation or the requirements and directions of the Vaccine Pass, he or she is liable to be prosecuted and, upon conviction, to a maximum fine of $50,000 and imprisonment for six months. Persons who are present at catering premises or other specified premises must comply with directions applicable to them. Non-compliance with the relevant directions is an offence and offenders are subject to a maximum fine of $10,000, or the liability may be discharged by paying a fixed penalty of $5,000. In addition, for customers in breach of the requirement on the maximum number of persons per table within catering premises, they are liable to a fixed penalty of $5,000 for violating the Prevention and Control of Disease (Prohibition on Gathering) Regulation (Cap. 599G). For persons not wearing a mask when they are not eating or drinking at a table therein, they are liable to a fixed penalty of $5,000 for contravening the Prevention and Control of Disease (Wearing of Mask) Regulation (Cap. 599I).　
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     To reduce the risk of virus transmission in the community, the spokesman strongly appeals to all sectors of the community again to stay vigilant and comply with the relevant regulations on prevention and control of disease in a concerted and persistent manner. The FEHD has strengthened its publicity efforts and will continue to take stringent enforcement actions. All sectors are reminded to exercise self-discipline and co-operate to fight the virus together.

     Police are investigating a murder in Sham Shui Po happened in the small hours today (September 3) in which a five-year-old boy died.

     At 0.52am today, Police received a report from a 33-year-old woman that the boy was found collapsed in a unit on Shek Kip Mei Street.

     Police officers sped to the scene and found the boy collapsed in bed. Sustaining multiple injuries, he was rushed to Kwong Wah Hospital in unconscious state and was certified dead at 2.01am.

     After initial investigation, the case is classified as murder. The 33-year-old woman, who was in suspected connection with the case, was arrested and is now being detained for further enquiries.

     Post-mortem examinations will be conducted later to ascertain the cause of death of the deceased.

     Active investigation by the District Crime Squad of Sham Shui Po District is underway.

     â€‹The Home Affairs Department is opening 18 community halls/community centres as temporary heat shelters today (September 3).
 
     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 10.30 pm 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.

     The Government announced today (September 3) that in order to fight the coronavirus epidemic, the Environmental Protection Department and the Drainage Services Department have been collecting sewage samples for virus testing in all districts, and had detected positive results in some areas, indicating that there may be hidden cases in the premises within these areas.
 
Rapid test
 
     As regards positive sewage testing results with relatively high viral loads in the following areas, the Housing Department will commence distributing about 295 000 sets of the COVID-19 rapid antigen test (RAT) kits to residents, cleaning workers and property management staff working in the following areas for them to take the test on their own, in order to help identify infected persons:
                                  

• Sha Tin District – Yan On Estate and Lee On Estate
• Wong Tai Sin District – Choi Fai Estate, Choi Wan (I) Estate and Choi Wan (II) Estate
• Kwun Tong District – Tsui Ping (South) Estate, Shun Lee Estate, Kwong Tin Estate and Kai Tin Estate
• Southern District – Tin Wan Estate
• Tuen Mun District – Po Tin Estate

 
     Members of the public may refer to (www.coronavirus.gov.hk/rat/eng/rat.html) for enquiries relating to the use of the RAT kits.
 
     When using an RAT kit, please pay attention to and follow the instructions from the manufacturer to perform the test and read the result properly. It is advisable to record the displayed result by taking a photo immediately after reading. Users should wash their hands before and after performing the tests, and avoid placing non-essential items within the specimen collection area. After completing the test, wrap and seal all components of the test kit carefully and dispose properly. If the household environment is contaminated during the specimen collecting process, disinfection should be conducted with 1 in 49 diluted bleach solution or 70 per cent alcohol.
 
     People who obtained a positive result through an RAT for the first time can report via the online platform "Declaration System for individuals tested positive for COVID-19 using Rapid Antigen Test" (www.chp.gov.hk/ratp). If individuals encounter difficulties using the online platform, they can call the automated system at 183 6119 to register their identification document and telephone number. The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health will contact the relevant person later to finish the report procedure.