The Fire Services Department (FSD) today (February 4) said that an acting senior fireman serving at Mong Kok Fire Station has been tested preliminarily positive for COVID-19 when undergoing testing on a voluntary basis. The FSD has been following up on the case with the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health and waiting for further instruction from the CHP. 
      
     The senior fireman last performed duties on February 3. He did not have close or high risk contact with the members of the public while at work. He wore masks and followed relevant disease prevention measures at work. The FSD has arranged thorough cleaning and disinfection at the premises concerned and in the vicinity in accordance with the CHP's advice and maintained close liaison with the CHP in taking appropriate follow-up actions. 
      
     The FSD has made arrangement on staff deployment to ensure that relevant services are not affected. 
      
     The FSD has been strictly implementing disease prevention measures during the epidemic. Staff members are reminded to pay attention to personal hygiene and to stay vigilant. They should seek medical advice immediately if feeling unwell. 

     The Housing Department (HD) yesterday (February 3) learned that a cleansing worker employed by the contractor working at Tsz Hong and Tsz Man Estates has been tested positive for COVID-19.  
 
     The cleansing worker is responsible for cleansing works at Tsz Hong Estate Management Office and Tsz Man Estate Management Office.  She last performed duties on January 31. She has no recent travel history. She has been wearing face masks and observing relevant disease prevention measures at work.  
 
     The Estate Management Offices of Tsz Hong Estate and Tsz Man Estate had been thoroughly cleaned and disinfected in accordance with the guidelines of the Centre for Health Protection (CHP). All staff working in the same office were recommended to take the COVID-19 test.
 
     The HD will continue to maintain close liaison with the CHP and co-operate with its disease prevention measures and quarantine work.

     A spokesman for the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) said today (February 4) that samples collected from two pet cats sent to the AFCD tested positive for the COVID-19 virus.

     The case involves five domestic short-hair cats that lived in Sheung Shui. When the owner was found to be a close contact of a confirmed COVID-19 case, the cats were sent to the AFCD for quarantine today. The department collected samples from all these cats for testing. Results showed that samples taken from two of the cats tested positive for the virus. However, the cats have not shown any COVID-19 symptoms. The AFCD will continue to closely monitor the cats and conduct follow up testing.

     The spokesman reminded pet owners to adopt good hygiene practices (including hand washing before and after being around or handling animals, their food or supplies, as well as avoiding kissing them) and to maintain a clean and hygienic household environment. People who have taken ill should restrict contact with animals. If any changes in the health condition of pets are spotted, advice from a veterinarian should be sought as soon as possible.

     The spokesman emphasised that pet owners should always maintain good hygiene practices and under no circumstances should they abandon their pets.

     As of today, 9 dogs and 10 cats tested positive for the COVID-19 virus.

     Following is the transcript of remarks by the Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, at a media session this afternoon (February 4):
 
Reporter: Good afternoon, Mrs Lam. Will the "vaccine pass" be applied to children? What will be the age range for the "vaccine pass"? Is it appropriate to make children as young as five to get two shots or even a booster in order to enter premises? And when will the Government require the public to get the booster? Also, is it still practical to continue the containment policy given the strain on manpower and facilities and the impact on schools, students and businesses? And at what threshold do you think Hong Kong will be able to implement the "live with the virus" policy? Thank you.
 
Chief Executive: I'm sorry I actually still could not fully hear what you are saying. That's the problem of wearing a mask sometimes. I'll try to answer. First of all, the "vaccine pass" is imposed in order to encourage and induce vaccination by those who should be vaccinated, especially the elderly, because the current vaccination rate amongst the elderly is still very low. For example, for those aged 70 and above, I think half of them have yet to be vaccinated, and the number is probably about half a million. We really need to encourage, promote and induce more unvaccinated people to come forward to get the jab.
 
     If children are not eligible for vaccination for the time being, of course they will not be subject to the "vaccine pass" because in Hong Kong's case, vaccination for children started very late, and at the moment we still have not been providing one of the vaccines, that is the BioNTech, to young kids aged five and above. I would imagine that when we amend the legislation to provide "vaccine pass" in terms of children, we will make the needed allowance. We wouldn't put children under a very difficult situation.
 
     As to when to get the booster, this is not for me to say because it's clinically driven. We have a joint scientific group on the vaccines in the Department of Health. They would advise the Government for each type of vaccine – that is the Sinovac and the BioNTech – what should be the lead time between the first and second doses and between the second and third. When I said that after a certain period the "vaccine pass" will be defined as having completed three doses, again we will make full allowance. The period would not be shorter than the period advised by the experts, otherwise it's illogical and unreasonable. For example, if the experts said that the third dose should only be taken nine months after the second dose, then to define "vaccine pass" as having completed three doses we will have to take into account that period. You need not worry about that.
 
     For the containment policy, at the moment it is still the best policy and strategy for Hong Kong. It has proven to be effective in helping Hong Kong to suppress the previous waves and allow people to get back to their normal work until we are more fully vaccinated, then we can consider, maybe, another arrangement; but at the moment, as I said on many, many occasions, this is still the best policy. Achieving "dynamic zero" is still our best target until we have reached a more satisfactory vaccination rate. We will continue to do this policy but we are strengthening all the measures. We are enhancing our capacity so that in containing the spread of virus, we could be more effective. That's what we are doing.
 
     I hope you will agree with me that we should put the lives of our people at the top priority. We have managed to keep the number of fatalities very low – at 213 for a period of over two years, and we wouldn't want to put Hong Kong people at risk.
 
     Thank you.
 
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)

  

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     As at 9am today (February 4), 36 patients who had tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus were discharged from hospital in the last 24 hours. So far, a total of 12 916 patients have been discharged.
 
     A total of 1 408 patients who had tested positive are currently hospitalised in the North Lantau Hospital Hong Kong Infection Control Centre, the Hospital Authority (HA) Infectious Disease Centre, the Community Treatment Facility at AsiaWorld-Expo and 13 public hospitals. One of the patients is in critical condition while the remainder are in stable condition.
 
     The HA will maintain close contact with the Centre for Health Protection to monitor the latest developments and to inform the public and healthcare workers on the latest information in a timely manner.
 
     The case numbers of the discharged and critical patients are as follows: