The Government today (May 24) announced that the 64th round of compulsory testing for staff members of residential care homes for the elderly (RCHEs), residential care homes for persons with disabilities (RCHDs) and nursing homes will commence shortly.

     In accordance with section 10(1) of the Prevention and Control of Disease (Compulsory Testing for Certain Persons) Regulation (Cap. 599J), the Secretary for Food and Health issued a compulsory testing notice yesterday (May 23), requiring persons who are employed by and will be on duty at RCHEs, RCHDs, nursing homes and day service units attached to the premises of residential care homes during the period from June 1 to 7, 2022, or who will provide services to residents or users through hire-of-service contracts with residential care homes and the aforementioned units during that period (including full-time, part-time and relief staff), to undergo polymerase chain reaction-based nucleic acid tests for COVID-19 during the period from May 25 to 31, 2022, according to the requirements and procedure set out in the notice (the Specified Test). The samples must be collected by using combined nasal and throat swabs and must not be taken by the person to be tested. However, persons who have completed a COVID-19 vaccination course (i.e. received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine at least 14 days before the end of the testing period) are not required to undergo the Specified Test. Persons who have completed a COVID-19 vaccination course in places outside Hong Kong (i.e. received the recommended dose(s) of a COVID-19 vaccine as stipulated in relevant guidelines at least 14 days before the end of the testing period, and the vaccine used is included on the list of vaccines recognised for specified purposes as published on www.coronavirus.gov.hk/pdf/list_of_recognised_covid19_vaccines.pdf), are also not required to undergo the Specified Test.

     The staff of institutions who had obtained a positive test result in the Specified Test or rapid antigen test for COVID-19 on or after April 25, 2022, are not required to undergo testing in accordance with the requirements of the notice provided that they can produce the relevant SMS (mobile phone text message) notification containing the positive result of the test, or the relevant SMS notification or isolation order issued after making a declaration on the Government's Declaration System for Individuals Tested Positive for COVID-19 Using Rapid Antigen Test.

     The staff of institutions who are required to undergo the Specified Test may choose the following means:

(1) To undergo the Specified Test in any of the community testing centres (see the list at www.communitytest.gov.hk/en), temporary testing centres (if any) (see the list at www.swd.gov.hk/en/index/site_pubsvc/page_supportser/sub_ttc), or mobile specimen collection stations (if any) (see the list at www.coronavirus.gov.hk/eng/early-testing.html) in accordance with the instructions given by the staff at the centre/station;

(2) To have a sample collected by a healthcare professional or trained personnel as arranged by institution operators at a laboratory listed on the "COVID-19 Thematic Website" (see the list at www.coronavirus.gov.hk/pdf/List_of_recognised_laboratories_RTPCR.pdf); or

(3) To self-arrange testing provided by a laboratory listed on the "COVID-19 Thematic Website" at their own expense (see the list at www.coronavirus.gov.hk/pdf/List_of_recognised_laboratories_RTPCR.pdf) and the sample through a combined nasal and throat swab must not be taken by the person himself or herself.

     Any person who fails to comply with the testing notice commits an offence and may be subject to a fixed penalty of $10,000. He or she 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 order is an offence and the offender would be liable to a fine at level 5 ($50,000) and imprisonment for six months.

     A spokesman for the Social Welfare Department (SWD) said that the SWD and the Department of Health would issue letters to institutions to inform them of the relevant arrangements and requirements. The spokesman reminded staff of the said institutions who will undergo testing at community testing centres that they should make an advance booking via the community testing centre booking system (www.communitytest.gov.hk) for the free testing service. In addition, institution operators should remind their staff members to properly keep the SMS notifications of their test results or their test result reports.

     Institution operators are required to keep records of their staff having received the Specified Test and the results within the time frames specified by the Government. They are also required to keep the list of staff members who have completed a COVID-19 vaccination course. Institution operators also have to co-operate with Checking Officers (Compulsory Testing) of the SWD who are enforcing the Regulation at residential care homes.

     The SWD spokesman said that starting from the 26th round of compulsory testing, staff members who have not been vaccinated and do not have medical certificates certifying that they are unfit to receive COVID-19 vaccination owing to health reasons have had to undergo compulsory testing at their own expense. The Government will continue to monitor the epidemic situation and make adjustments to the aforementioned testing policy after taking the overall anti-epidemic measures into account. Although staff members who have completed a COVID-19 vaccination course are exempted from the regular compulsory testing, they can still receive free testing for the time being if they voluntarily choose to undergo the test.

The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:

     Exchange Fund Bills tender results:
 

 
* "Pro rata ratio" refers to the average percentage of allotment with respect to each tender participant's tendered amount at the "highest yield accepted" level. 
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     Hong Kong Monetary Authority tenders to be held in the week beginning May 30, 2022:
 

     The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (May 24) that in view of notifications from the British Consulate-General in Hong Kong about an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in Erewash District of Derbyshire County, as well as the extension of restricted areas to City of Derby of Derbyshire County and Broxtowe District and City of Nottingham of Nottinghamshire County in the United Kingdom (UK), the CFS has instructed the trade to suspend the import of poultry meat and products (including poultry eggs) from the above-mentioned areas with immediate effect to protect public health in Hong Kong.

     A CFS spokesman said that according to the Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong imported about 420 tonnes of chilled and frozen poultry meat and about 90 000 poultry eggs from the UK in the first three months of this year.

     "The CFS has contacted the British authorities over the issues and will closely monitor information issued by the World Organisation for Animal Health and the relevant authorities on the avian influenza outbreaks. Appropriate action will be taken in response to the development of the situation," the spokesman said.

     Following is the transcript of remarks by the Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, at a media session before the Executive Council (ExCo) meeting today (May 24):
 
Reporter: Thank you, Mrs Lam. I'd like to ask, Hong Kong's largest business chamber has called for quarantine to be scrapped this week, and European airlines are threatening not to fly into Hong Kong as the rest of the region opens due to the quarantine for airline staff. When will home quarantine requirements be reduced or removed? And what would trigger tighter rules for social distancing measures?
 
Chief Executive: I have another five weeks to go as the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. I've been leading the fight against the COVID-19 epidemic for two and a half years. As I'm approaching the end of my term, I want to reiterate that all these decisions we made on fighting the epidemic and ensuring the safety of the people of Hong Kong are based on a number of factors. One is, of course, the public health considerations. Second is the economic development needs of Hong Kong. Third is the acceptance level, or the tolerance of the Hong Kong people. After announcing the two phases of relaxation of social distancing measures, the feedback given to me is they are generally fine. A lot of restaurants and bars are now starting to do business. And so whether we would implement the final phase – actually the final phase does not involve major measures, just lifting the numbers or the percentage on the limitation of seating in venues. I said that it will be done in three phases over three months, so we may still have a final phase before the end of June, that is the end of my term, because I cannot make decisions after June 30. As far as social distancing measures are concerned, there is still a final phase, but as I see it, that final phase is not crucial to the recovery or the enjoyment of the Hong Kong people.
 
     About border controls, as you can see from the numbers we announce every day at the 4.30pm press conference, because the local infections are kept very low now, the imported cases account for a rather significant share of the total caseload. And on top of that, we are seeing different variants under BA.2, so we have to be extremely careful in, sort of, implementing the restrictions on border controls. I would say at this point in time that it is very unlikely that, during my term, there will be more relaxations on border controls. In other words, we will still have hotel quarantine; we will still require vaccination before a passenger could board a plane to Hong Kong; and we will still impose "test-and-hold", whether at the airport or at the hotel, for a PCR test (polymerase chain reaction nucleic acid test) in order to keep Hong Kong safe.
 
     Thank you.

(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)

     Police are investigating a fatal traffic accident in Tsing Yi in the small hours today (May 24) in which a 60-year-old non-ethnic Chinese (NEC) man died.

     At about 3.18am, a goods vehicle (GV) was traveling along Tsing Sha Highway towards Kowloon. Upon reaching a roadwork site close to Nam Wan Tunnel, it reportedly knocked down the 60-year-old male worker. After the accident, the GV left the scene.

     Sustaining serious multiple injuries, the man was rushed to Yan Chai Hospital in unconscious state and was certified dead at 4.33am.

     Investigation by the Special Investigation Team of Traffic, New Territories South is underway.

     Anyone who witnessed the accident or has any information to offer is urged to contact the investigating officers on 3661 1346 or 3661 1710.