Since August 12, the quarantine arrangement for inbound persons from overseas places or Taiwan has been adjusted to three days of compulsory quarantine, followed by four days of medical surveillance. An increase in inbound passenger… read more
The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, met with the Minister of Education, Mr Huai Jinpeng, by video conferencing today (September 1). He stressed that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government will proactively promote education exchanges and co-operation between the Mainland and Hong Kong with an aim to integrate into the overall development of the country. The Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin, also attended the meeting.
Speaking at the meeting, Mr Lee said that Hong Kong and the Mainland have achieved good progress in tertiary education co-operation, especially in areas such as co-operative education, student exchanges and collaboration on research and development.
He said, “The HKSAR Government has all along been supportive of Hong Kong’s tertiary institutions in seizing the opportunities arisen from the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA). We will continue to proactively participate in and promote higher education co-operation in the GBA, and assist Hong Kong’s tertiary institutions in coming up with more flexible and innovative operation modes to facilitate stronger co-operation among their campuses in Hong Kong and GBA cities and better flow of teaching staff and students, striving to nurture talents to meet the need of the national development.”
This morning, Mr Lee delivered a video speech at the opening ceremony of Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou). The university is the first tertiary institution co-operated by the Mainland and Hong Kong since the promulgation of the Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area in 2019, signifying a new milestone in developing an education and talents hub for in the GBA.
Mr Lee, also attended the opening ceremony of Minxin Hong Kong School in Nansha, Guangzhou, in the form of video conferencing through pre-recording today. He noted that the school, adopting Hong Kong curriculum from primary and secondary education in a 12-year through-train mode, aims to cultivate the next generation for having a broad mind of “roots in Hong Kong, a heart for China, a global perspective”.
With the country’s 14th Five-Year Plan and the GBA development, he expressed gratitude to the Ministry of Education (MoE) for supporting Hong Kong’s school sponsoring bodies to set up schools offering Hong Kong curriculum in the GBA, providing children of Hong Kong people with through-train primary-cum-secondary education services. Meanwhile, the HKSAR Government also fully supports school sponsoring bodies in the Mainland to establish schools offering Mainland curriculum in Hong Kong.
At the meeting, Mr Lee said, “Looking ahead, in order to guide the younger generation to grasp the opportunities under the country’s rapid development, to leverage Hong Kong’s unique advantage as a world city that implements the ‘one country, two systems’ principle under national development strategies such as the 14th Five-Year Plan, the GBA development and the Belt and Road Initiative, the HKSAR Government will continue to work closely with MoE to assist Hong Kong youth in understanding the development trend of our country and the rest of the world and enhancing their national pride and sense of being the masters.”
Mr Lee also, in particular, expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the Central Government for actively liaising with co-ordinating among relevant Mainland authorities and offering facilitation arrangement for Hong Kong students who pursuing further studies in Mainland, after learning about their difficulties in seeking to enter the Mainland under quotas. Multi-pronged measures were then put in place for these students to depart for studying in the Mainland via air or land boundary control points, easing their demand in the shortest time.
He reiterated that, under “one country, two systems”, the HKSAR Government will strengthen young people’s understanding of the development trend of the country and the rest of the world, nurturing them to be talents who have both integrity, competence and love for both the country and Hong Kong to contribute to the stability and prosperity of the city and the country.
The Government exercises the power under the Prevention and Control of Disease (Compulsory Testing for Certain Persons) Regulation (Cap. 599J) and publishes in the Gazette a compulsory testing notice, which requires any person who had been present at 58 specified places during the specified period (persons subject to compulsory testing) to undergo a COVID-19 nucleic acid test.
In view of a number of cases testing positive, 57 specified places are included in the compulsory testing notice. Furthermore, since some sewage samples collected in Kwun Tong have tested positive, one specified premises is included in the compulsory testing notice. The Government strongly reminds members of the public to strictly follow the compulsory testing requirements and undergo testing on time as required. Mobile specimen collection stations have been set up by the Government in different districts to facilitate testing to be conducted in compliance with the compulsory testing notice. The above compulsory testing requirement applies to those who have completed a COVID-19 vaccination course as well.
Persons who have tested positive in the past three months (including positive cases tested either by nucleic acid tests recorded by the Department of Health (DH) or by rapid antigen tests (RATs) that have been self-declared to the DH) do not need to undergo compulsory testing. For those who are subject to compulsory testing (save for those who have declared their positive RAT results as mentioned above), they must undergo nucleic acid tests in accordance with relevant compulsory testing notices and cannot use RATs to fulfil the requirement of such notices. In other words, a negative RAT result cannot be deemed as fulfilling the compulsory testing requirement. Furthermore, unless a person subject to compulsory testing has obtained a medical certificate proving that he or she is unfit to undergo testing using a sample taken through combined nasal and throat swabs because of health reasons, the person cannot provide a deep throat saliva sample to fulfil the compulsory testing requirement.
Details of the compulsory testing notice are available on the Centre for Health Protection (CHP)’s website via the following link: www.chp.gov.hk/files/pdf/ctn_20220901.pdf.
If any persons test positive under compulsory testing, such positive cases will be handled in the same manner as in those identified through other nucleic acid tests or self-declared through RATs. Their isolation arrangements (as well as the quarantine arrangements of their household members) are no different from other positive cases.
Persons subject to compulsory testing in accordance with a compulsory testing notice must go to any of the mobile specimen collection stations, community testing centres (CTCs) or recognised local medical testing institutions to undergo professional swab sampling in fulfilling the requirements for compulsory testing. Young children may continue to undergo the test using a stool specimen. For details on obtaining stool specimen bottles, please refer to the COVID-19 thematic website: www.coronavirus.gov.hk/pdf/Stool_bottle_collection_points.pdf.
If Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No. 3 or above, the Red or Black Rainstorm Warning Signal or the post-super typhoon “extreme conditions” announcement by the Government is in force at any time during the period for undergoing the compulsory testing, the period for undergoing the compulsory testing will be extended for one day.
The Comirnaty and CoronaVac vaccines are highly effective in preventing severe cases and deaths from COVID-19. They can provide protection to those vaccinated to prevent serious complications and even death after infection. The Government appeals to persons who are not yet vaccinated to get vaccinated without delay. The Government is working towards the goal of boosting the vaccination rates of children, teenagers and the elderly so that they can be protected by the vaccines as early as possible. Furthermore, the Scientific Committee on Vaccine Preventable Diseases and the Scientific Committee on Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases under the CHP of the DH has earlier updated the consensus interim recommendations that a three-dose series of Comirnaty vaccine (each dose is one-tenth of that for an adult) may be administered to children aged six months to under five years; and a three-dose series of CoronaVac vaccine (each dose of the same dosage as that for an adult) for children aged six months to less than three years. Besides, persons aged 50 and above may receive the fourth dose of COVID-19 vaccine after at least three months from the third dose. Members of the public who are eligible should get the fourth dose as early as possible for better protection.
CTCs provide testing services for the public. Booking and walk-in services are available. Members of the public only need to provide simple personal information on the 24-hour booking system (www.communitytest.gov.hk/en). The system shows the booking status of the centres for the coming two weeks to facilitate the public’s planning and selection of a suitable testing centre and a time slot for testing. The testing centres will accord priority to serve individuals with advance bookings. As of 6pm today (September 1), there was around 96 per cent availability for booking places for the coming two weeks. Members of the public may call the testing centres for enquiries on the availability of bookings or walk-in quotas before visiting the centres.
The Government will reopen the mobile specimen collection stations at Chuk Yuen North Estate in Wong Tai Sin, Lei Muk Shue Estate in Tsuen Wan and Cheung Ching Estate in Tsing Yi tomorrow (September 2). Separately, ticketing machines have been installed in a number of service points for on-site ticket arrangement. Members of the public who have obtained a ticket can visit the CTC website (www.communitytest.gov.hk/en) to check the real-time queueing ticket status. Booking service is also provided for some large-scale mobile specimen collection stations, and members of the public may use the 24-hour booking system (www.communitytest.gov.hk/en) to reserve a suitable time slot for testing.
Other than persons subject to compulsory testing, all members of the public may conduct free testing at CTCs or mobile specimen collection stations (if the service scope is applicable). The Government will also continue to provide free nucleic acid testing service for eligible persons of targeted groups, visitors to public hospitals and residential care homes and all elderly people aged 60 or above at CTCs and mobile specimen collection stations. The opening dates and operating hours of the mobile specimen collection stations are stated in the Annex.
Outdoor mobile specimen collection stations will be closed if the Strong Wind Signal No. 3 or Red Rainstorm Warning Signal has been issued, while all mobile specimen collection stations together with all CTCs will be closed when Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No. 8 or above or the Black Rainstorm Warning Signal is in force. Any changes in the arrangements of testing service will be announced on site, and members of the public may also pay attention to the relevant press releases.
Persons subject to compulsory testing may choose to undergo testing via the following routes:
(a) For tests which require using a sample taken through combined nasal and throat swabs
1. To visit any of the mobile specimen collection stations (see the list and target groups (if applicable) at www.coronavirus.gov.hk/eng/early-testing.html) for testing;
2. To attend any of the CTCs (see the list at www.communitytest.gov.hk/en);
3. To self-arrange testing provided by private laboratories which are recognised by the DH and can issue SMS notifications in respect of test results (see the list at www.coronavirus.gov.hk/pdf/List_of_recognised_laboratories_RTPCR.pdf), and the relevant sample must be taken through combined nasal and throat swabs; or
4. To use a specimen bottle distributed to the relevant specified premises by the CHP (if applicable), and return the specimen bottle with the stool sample collected as per relevant guidelines.
(b) For persons holding a medical certificate issued by a registered medical practitioner proving that they are unfit to undergo testing using a sample taken through combined nasal and throat swabs because of health reasons
1. To obtain a deep throat saliva specimen collection pack from post offices, vending machines set up at MTR stations or designated general out-patient clinics (GOPCs) of the Hospital Authority and return the specimen to one of the designated specimen collection points (see the distribution points and times, and the specimen collection points and times, at www.coronavirus.gov.hk/eng/early-testing.html);
2. To undergo testing at any of the GOPCs of the Hospital Authority as instructed by a medical professional of the Hospital Authority; or
3. To self-arrange testing provided by private laboratories which are recognised by the DH and can issue SMS notifications in respect of test results.
A Government spokesman cautioned that testing received at the Accident and Emergency Departments of the Hospital Authority, or testing provided by private laboratories which cannot issue SMS notifications in respect of test results, does not comply with the requirements of the aforementioned compulsory testing notice.
“If persons 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 mobile specimen collection stations or the CTCs.”
Persons subject to compulsory testing must keep the SMS notifications containing the result of the test and the relevant medical certificate (if applicable) for checking by a law enforcement officer when the officer requires the persons to provide information about their undergoing the specified test.
Any enquiries on compulsory testing arrangements may be addressed to the hotline at 6275 6901, which operates daily from 9am to 6pm.
The Government will continue to trace possibly infected persons who had been to relevant premises, and seriously verify whether they had complied with the testing notices. Any person who fails to comply with the testing notices commits an offence and the maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine at level 4 ($25,000) and imprisonment for six months. The fixed penalty for discharging the liability is $10,000. The person may also be issued with a compulsory testing order requiring him or her to undergo testing within a specified time frame. Any person in breach of the compulsory testing order would be liable to a fine at level 5 ($50,000) 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 had contact with cases tested positive), to undergo testing promptly for early identification of infected persons.” read more
The Government announced today (September 1) that the COVID-19 nucleic acid testing arrangements for persons arriving from the Mainland and Macao will be rationalised from September 3 onwards. The new arrangements include that persons arriving at Hong Kong from the Mainland or Macao via the airport will no longer be required to undergo “test-and-hold” arrangement in a bid to align the testing arrangements for relevant persons arriving at Hong Kong via the airport and land boundary control points, while all persons arriving from the Mainland and Macao must undergo compulsory nucleic acid testing on Day 2 upon their arrival at Hong Kong.
In view of the control and management measures implemented in at-risk areas in the Mainland and Macao, persons arriving at Hong Kong from the Mainland and Macao pose very low infection risks to Hong Kong. Moreover, no imported case from the Mainland or Macao was detected in recent months. At the same time, considering the shorter incubation period of the Omicron virus variants, the Government will amend the testing requirements for persons arriving at Hong Kong from the Mainland and Macao with an aim to deploy Hong Kong’s nucleic acid testing resources in a more targeted and efficient manner. The existing requirement of undergoing compulsory nucleic acid tests on Day 4 and Day 6 after arrival at Hong Kong will be revised to undergoing compulsory nucleic acid testing on Day 2 upon arrival at Hong Kong. This new arrangement aligns with that for persons arriving at Hong Kong from overseas places or Taiwan who are required to undergo nucleic acid test in designated quarantine hotels on Day 2 upon arrival at Hong Kong. This arrangement is applicable to persons who have to undergo compulsory quarantine at home, as well as those arriving at Hong Kong under the Return2hk or Come2hk schemes.
Additionally, the Government will also lift the current “test-and-hold” arrangement for persons arriving at Hong Kong from the Mainland or Macao at the airport, so as to align with the arrival testing arrangements for persons arriving at Hong Kong from the Mainland or Macao via the airport or land boundary control points.
The two abovementioned measures will be effective from September 3. As a transitional arrangement, for relevant persons who have already arrived at Hong Kong and underwent one compulsory nucleic acid test before September 3, they would not need to take a second nucleic acid test as required under the original compulsory testing arrangement. Meanwhile, the Government will also further refine the relevant arrival processes at the airport in an orderly manner in the light of the lifting of the “test-and-hold” arrangement at the airport for persons arriving from the Mainland and Macao. read more
The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, today (September 1) held a video conference on deepening Guangdong-Hong Kong co-operation with the Secretary of the CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee, Mr Li Xi; the Governor of Guangdong Province, Mr Wang Weizhong; the Secretary of the CPC Shenzhen Municipal Committee, Mr Meng Fanli; the Secretary of the CPC Guangzhou Municipal Committee, Mr Lin Keqing; the Mayor of the Shenzhen Municipal Government, Mr Qin Weizhong; and the Mayor of the Guangzhou Municipal Government, Mr Guo Yonghang, to exchange views and discuss issues of mutual interest. Topics included deepening Hong Kong’s co-operation with Guangdong, Guangzhou and Shenzhen, and further promoting the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA).
Also attending the meeting were the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki; the Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan; the Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Mr Erick Tsang Kwok-wai; the Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau; the Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Mr Lam Sai-hung; the Secretary for Development, Ms Bernadette Linn; the Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin; and the Permanent Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Mr Eddie Mak.
The Chief Executive and leaders of the Guangdong Province, Guangzhou and Shenzhen shared their views on further enhancing collaboration. All sides reached consensus on the following subjects:
(1) In terms of enhancing the Guangdong-Hong Kong co-operation mechanism, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government and the Guangdong Provincial Government will set up 13 working groups to cover major areas of co-operation, including epidemic prevention and resumption of normal travel; the Northern Metropolis; the Nansha Plan; innovation and technology; finance; commerce and trade; youth employment, entrepreneurship and internship; promoting legal and dispute resolution services; and maritime, aviation and logistics. On the Hong Kong side, relevant work of each working group will be led by specific Secretaries of Departments or Directors of Bureaux. Both sides are encouraged to take forward various co-operation items pragmatically under the new co-operation framework and mechanism in order to achieve broad and fruitful results. The working groups will start their work as soon as possible. As for the working group on the Northern Metropolis, it will focus on promoting and co-ordinating work related to the Northern Metropolis to enhance the co-operation between Hong Kong and Guangdong and achieve a greater synergy effect;
(2) The proposal of “pre-departure quarantine” raised by the Hong Kong side, in which Mainland-bound travellers from Hong Kong will undergo quarantine in Hong Kong first before entering Shenzhen in a closed-loop mode to meet the “7+3” quarantine requirement of the Mainland, was supported by the Guangdong and Shenzhen sides. They agreed to set up a working group to discuss the implementation details and report for approval according to relevant procedures before implementation. The Hong Kong side of the working group will be led by the Chief Secretary for Administration;
(3) Guangzhou and Hong Kong will strengthen co-operation on the development of Nansha. The HKSAR fully supports Nansha in developing as a high-standard gateway for opening up within the GBA, whilst expanding the scope of development for Hong Kong and its industries at the same time;
(4) On Shenzhen-Hong Kong co-operation, upon review and consolidation of the current co-operation framework, 19 working groups will be set up to push forward the collaboration in various key areas including innovation and technology, finance, commerce and trade, youth employment and entrepreneurship, and Qianhai. On the Hong Kong front, these working groups will be led by specific Secretaries of Departments or Directors of Bureaux and will start their work soon;
(5) Under the Plan for Comprehensive Deepening Reform and Opening Up of the Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Cooperation Zone, the HKSAR Government supports and looks forward to Qianhai continuing its function on early and pilot implementation and making more specific policy breakthroughs. The HKSAR Government will work hard to promote co-operation between Hong Kong and Shenzhen on both hardware and software including infrastructure and systems, particularly in expediting the development of the northern New Territories. As a result, Hong Kong can seize the opportunities brought about by Qianhai as a modern service industry hub;
(6) In terms of promoting financial opening up and innovation, the HKSAR Government and the Qianhai Authority will jointly promulgate 18 new measures to facilitate the development of cross-boundary business for venture capital and private equity funds, encouraging the funds to seize the immense opportunities arising from the development of the GBA. read more