A Government spokesman announced today (May 31) that the supply of fresh food from the Mainland yesterday (May 30) was sufficient and stable.

     According to the latest information, the quantity of vegetables supplied from the Mainland to Hong Kong yesterday (as of midnight) by land and water transportation was over 2 600 tonnes, comparable to the average daily supply from the Mainland on a normal day. The volume of vegetables sold through the wholesale markets of the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) and the Vegetable Marketing Organization was about 851 tonnes. The average wholesale prices of choi sum and pak choi stood at $6.10 and $5.40 per catty respectively yesterday, comparable to their average daily wholesale prices last year. The supply of eggs to the wholesale market remained steady, with the average daily supply standing at about 3.7 million for the past week, comparable to the average daily supply on a normal day last year.

     The total supply of chilled meat from the Mainland yesterday was about 37 tonnes. The supply of live pigs was plentiful.

     The supply of chilled poultry from the Mainland was over 140 000 head yesterday, and about 10 000 live chickens were slaughtered locally. The supply was abundant.

     Regarding the rice supply, in compliance with the requirement by the Government, stockholders of rice have to maintain the reserve stock of rice at a level sufficient for consumption by the local population for 15 days. The trade generally stocks double the required amount, which is sufficient for one month's consumption by Hong Kong citizens. In recent years, the import and consumption of rice in Hong Kong has stood at a steady level of around 320 000 to 330 000 tonnes per year. The import quantity (including reserve stock) as of end-April 2022 was 28 800 tonnes. Suppliers also maintain a reserve for food that can be stored, such as frozen meat, for around three months' stock generally.

     The Government will continue to maintain close liaison with the Mainland authorities and major food suppliers to ensure a stable food supply.

     The AFCD updates and publishes the fresh food supply information daily. Members of the public may visit the AFCD website for updates on daily supplies and wholesale prices of fresh food (www.afcd.gov.hk/english/agriculture/agr_fresh/agr_fresh.html).

     The 2022 edition of "Statistical Digest of the Services Sector" is published by the Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) today (May 31). The publication provides up-to-date annual statistics (for year 2011 and each of the years from 2017 to 2021) and quarterly statistics (from the third quarter of 2020 to the fourth quarter of 2021) on 14 major service industries/domains of Hong Kong for the more important statistical series.

     User can download the publication at the website of the C&SD (www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/EIndexbySubject.html?pcode=B1080007&scode=520). Enquiries can be directed to the Logistics and Producer Prices Statistics Section of the C&SD (Tel: 3903 7257; email: services@censtatd.gov.hk).

     â€‹The Government yesterday (May 30) 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 yesterday, under which people (hereafter referred to as "persons subject to compulsory testing") within the specified "restricted area" in Sham Shui Po (i.e. Un Shing House, Un Chau Estate, excluding kindergarten on the ground floor) 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 24 to May 30, 2022, to undergo compulsory testing on or before June 1, 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 7.30am today (May 31) 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 7.30am today, persons in the specified "restricted area" in Sham Shui Po who have undergone testing and are able to present SMS notifications with negative test results or wear wristbands 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 11.30pm yesterday. 1 907 people within the "restricted area" had undergone testing, among which one case tested positive was found. The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health will arrange to follow up. 

     The Government provided food packs for persons subject to compulsory testing to facilitate their meal arrangements. Anti-epidemic proprietary Chinese medicines donated by the Central People's Government or procured with the co-ordination of the Central People's Government and rapid antigen test kits were also distributed to persons subject to compulsory testing to help them fight against the virus.

     Regarding the case tested positive in the specified "restricted area", the Government has provided additional food packs, health advice for persons tested positive pending admission to hospitals or isolation facilities, disinfection products and surgical masks to these persons and their household members pending follow-up arrangement.

     Moreover, the Government also assigned staff to visit 789 households, among which 124 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 or wear a wristband 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 may be liable to a fine of level 5 ($50,000) and imprisonment for six months.

     â€‹The Government yesterday (May 30) 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 5.30pm yesterday, under which people (hereafter referred to as "persons subject to compulsory testing") within the specified "restricted area" in Tsuen Wan (i.e. Shek Tsui House, Shek Wai Kok Estate, excluding kindergarten and social service unit on G/F) 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 above building for more than two hours from May 24 to May 30, 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 June 1, 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 finished the compulsory testing exercise at around 8am today (May 31) 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 Tsuen 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 11.30pm yesterday. A total of about 1 860 persons had undergone testing. Amongst them, six tested positive cases were found and the Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health will take follow-up action. Regarding cases tested positive in the specified "restricted area", the Government will provide health advice for persons tested positive pending admission to hospitals or isolation facilities, disinfection products and surgical masks to these persons and their household members pending follow-up arrangement.

     Moreover, the Government also assigned staff to visit about 770 households within the "restricted area", among which 156 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 may be liable to a fine of level 5 ($50,000) and imprisonment for six months.

     Police yesterday (May 30) arrested four men, aged 31 to 58, who were in suspected connection with the murder case happened in Mong Kok on May 27, in which a 46-year-old man died.

     After investigation, Police arrested three men, aged 31 to 34, for murder and a 58-year-old man for assisting offenders in Castle Peak.

     All arrestees are being detained for further enquiries.

     Police arrested four men and two women in suspected connection with the case earlier. Three arrested men and an arrested woman, aged 20 to 37, were laid a holding charge jointly with one count of murder. A 30-year-old arrested man was laid a holding charge with one count of conspiracy to wound with intent. A 34-year-old arrested woman has been released on bail and is required to report back to Police in late June.

     Active investigation by the Regional Crime Unit of Kowloon West is underway. Police do not rule out the possibility that more arrests will be made.