A new round of electricity charges subsidy of $1,000 will be provided to each eligible residential electricity account from June 2022. The subsidy is one of the one-off relief measures announced by the Financial Secretary in the 2022-23 Budget to alleviate the economic pressure of the public caused by the epidemic.

     Starting from June 2022, a subsidy of $80 will be credited to each residential electricity account with CLP Power Hong Kong Limited (CLP) or the Hongkong Electric Company, Limited (HK Electric) in existence on the first day of each month for 11 consecutive months, and $120 in the 12th month, making up to a total of $1,000.

     The credits under the new subsidy scheme, together with the unused credits provided under similar schemes in 2008, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2020 and 2021, can be used for the purpose of offsetting the billed charges for electricity consumed under the account. Any unused credits can be carried forward to cover billed electricity charges under the same account until December 31, 2024, or the close of the account, whichever is earlier.

     The credits under the new subsidy scheme will be reflected in the electricity bills for residential accounts with the two electricity companies. Users may contact CLP's Customer Service Hotline on 2678 2678 or HK Electric's Customer Service Hotline on 2887 3411 for enquiries on account matters. More details of the new subsidy scheme can be found at www.fstb.gov.hk.

     This relief measure is expected to involve a government expenditure of about $2.8 billion and benefit around 2.8 million eligible households.

     The Transport Department (TD) today (May 20) said that the department and the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation will jointly hold a six-month pilot trial on the use of electric mobility devices on an approximately 3-kilometre-long cycle track section at Pak Shek Kok between University Station and the Science Park from May 23 to November 22. Two main types of electric mobility devices, namely motorised personal mobility devices (mPMDs) and power assisted pedal cycles (PAPCs), will be covered in the pilot trial.
      
     The pilot trial aims to gather more operating experience on the use of mPMDs and PAPCs for short-distance commuting on a cycle track between a workplace and a transport hub.

     Registered trial participants with a permit issued by the TD will join the pilot trial under a one-off arrangement specifically for the pilot trial. Users of mPMDs/PAPCs without pre-registration are not allowed to join the pilot trial. Those who use mPMDs/PAPCs without a permit or use mPMDs/PAPCs outside the designated location and time period specified in the permit may commit an offence under the Road Traffic Ordinance (Cap 374), its subsidiary legislation and other relevant legislation.

     Members of the public are advised to be alert to the arrangement of the pilot trial and be cautious when cycling in the designated cycle track section or crossing the cycle track. Ambassadors will be on-site at times to provide guidance and necessary assistance.

     For details, please refer to the leaflet (see Annex).

     The Government yesterday (May 19) 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 Kowloon Bay (i.e. Block 5 and Block 6, Richland Gardens, Kowloon Bay) 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 13 to May 19, 2022, to undergo compulsory testing on or before May 21, 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 9.30am today (May 20) 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 9.30am today, persons in the specified "restricted area" in Kowloon Bay 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. Around 1 270 people within the "restricted area" had undergone testing, among which two cases tested positive were found. The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health will arrange to follow up.
      
     Regarding cases tested positive in the specified "restricted area", the Government has provided additional food packs and daily necessities packs to these persons and their household members pending follow-up arrangement.
      
     Moreover, the Government also assigned staff to visit around 540 households within the "restricted area", among which 69 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 would be liable to a fine at level 5 ($50,000) and imprisonment for six months.

     The Government yesterday (May 19) 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 6.30pm yesterday, under which people (hereafter referred to as "persons subject to compulsory testing") within the specified "restricted area" in Tsuen Wan (i.e. Yeung Shue House, Lei Muk Shue Estate, Tsuen Wan, excluding the kindergarten 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. 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, were not required to undergo testing in this compulsory testing exercise.
 
     In addition, the Government issued a compulsory testing notice yesterday to any persons, other than those specified above, who had been present at the building for more than two hours from May 13 to May 19, 2022, to undergo compulsory testing on or before May 21, 2022, even if they were not present in the "restricted area" at the time when the declaration took effect. 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 9am today (May 20) 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 9am 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. During the exercise, 1 895 people within the "restricted area" had undergone testing, among which three cases tested positive were found. The Centre for Health Protection of the DH will arrange to follow up.

     Moreover, the Government also assigned staff to visit 719 households in the "restricted area", among which 59 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.

      The Government yesterday (May 19) 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 4.30pm yesterday, under which people (hereafter referred to as "persons subject to compulsory testing") within the specified "restricted area" in Tai Wai (i.e. Fu Chung House, Mei Chung Court, Tai Wai, excluding Mei Chung Court Management Office on G/F.) were required to stay in their premises and undergo compulsory testing. Persons subject to compulsory testing were required to stay in their premises until all such persons identified in the "restricted area" had undergone testing and the test results were mostly ascertained.
 
     Moreover, the Government issued a compulsory testing notice yesterday, requiring persons who had been present at the above building for more than two hours from May 13 to 19, 2022, even if they were not present in the "restricted area" at the time when the declaration took effect, to undergo compulsory testing on or before May 21, 2022. The Government announced the completion of the compulsory testing exercise at around 7.30am today (May 20) and carried out enforcement action in the "restricted area" afterwards to verify that all people in the "restricted area" had undergone compulsory testing in accordance with the requirements of the relevant declaration and compulsory testing notice. The Government announced that the enforcement operation ended at around 9.30am today.
    
     Staff from the Environment Bureau, the Environmental Protection Department, the Security Bureau, the Hong Kong Police Force, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department and the Department of Health took part in this exercise to arrange for implementation of the declaration and enforcement actions for breaches of the compulsory testing notice issued earlier.
 
     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 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.
　
     The Government thanks persons subject to compulsory testing for their support and understanding. With everyone's co-operation and efforts, coupled with the efforts of the testing contractors throughout the night, residents have been informed about their testing results by SMS notification. After finishing the compulsory testing exercise at around 7.30am today, the Government took enforcement action in the "restricted area" immediately to verify that all people in the "restricted area" had undergone testing according to the requirements of the declaration and the compulsory testing notice. Persons who could present an SMS notification containing a negative testing result or wore a wristband as proof of having undergone the compulsory testing could leave the "restricted area" through the designated exit after providing personal information to a prescribed officer. The enforcement operation was completed at around 9.30am. Test records of around 330 persons subject to compulsory testing were checked. Two persons were found not having undergone compulsory testing and compulsory testing orders were issued to them. Taking into account the above situation, the Secretary for Food and Health revoked the "restriction-testing declaration" in accordance with Cap. 599J (see attachment).
 
     The Government reminds the about 30 households who have not answered the door to undergo a nucleic acid test as soon as possible after reading the notices put up by the Government, in the hope of eliminating the possible risk of further spread of the virus in the community.
 
     The Government thanks all participating government staff and the testing agencies for their hard work. The Government is also grateful to those subject to compulsory testing for their support and understanding, and their full co-operation during this period in undergoing testing and waiting for the results at home.
 
     The Government will seriously follow up on the compliance situation of the compulsory testing notices and the "restriction-testing declaration" by persons subject to compulsory testing. Any person who fails to comply with the compulsory testing notices commits an offence and may be liable to a fixed penalty of $10,000. The person will 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 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.