In light of the latest developments of COVID-19, the Civil Engineering and Development Department announced today (February 3) that the following public services will be suspended from tomorrow (February 4) until further notice:

     (1) the Civil Engineering Library;
     (2) in-person applications for dumping licences and sand removal permits; and
     (3) the Permit and Licensing Office of the Mines Division. 

     The CEDD will closely monitor the epidemic situation and review the arrangement in due course. 

     In view of the cold weather, the Home Affairs Department has opened 18 temporary shelters today (February 3) for people in need of the service.
  
     The temporary shelters will remain open during the daytime tomorrow (February 4) when the Cold Weather Warning is still in force.
 
     To ensure that cold shelter users can rest in a quiet and undisturbed environment, members of the public or agencies wishing to make donations to shelter users are requested to register with the staff of the shelter first. Donors will then be directed to place the donated items at a specified indoor location. The staff will help notify the shelter users to collect the items on their own.
 
     Anyone seeking temporary refuge or with any questions about the donation arrangements at the cold shelters may call the department's hotline 2572 8427 for more information.
 
     In light of the implementation of mandatory use of the "LeaveHomeSafe" mobile application when entering government premises, all persons are required to use the app to scan the venue QR code before they are allowed to enter temporary cold shelters, except for exempted persons (including persons who are aged below 12 or aged 65 or above, persons with disabilities that render use of the app difficult and persons without smartphones). All exempted persons are required to complete a prescribed form to register their personal particulars, contact phone number and the date and time of entry. The staff will verify the information provided.
 
     The 18 temporary cold shelters are located at:
 
Hong Kong Island:
——————–
 
Central and Western:
Sai Ying Pun Community Complex Community Hall
3/F, Sai Ying Pun Community Complex, 2 High Street, Sai Ying Pun
 
Eastern:
Causeway Bay Community Centre
3/F, 7 Fook Yum Road, Causeway Bay
 
Southern:
Wah Kwai Community Centre
Wah Kwai Estate, Kellett Bay
 
Wan Chai:
Wan Chai Activities Centre
LG/F, Wan Chai Market, 258 Queen's Road East, Wan Chai
 
Kowloon:
——————
 
Kowloon City:
Hung Hom Community Hall
1/F, Kowloon City Government Offices, 42 Bailey Street, Hung Hom
 
Kwun Tong:
Lam Tin (West) Estate Community Centre
71 Kai Tin Road, Lam Tin
 
Sham Shui Po:
Nam Cheong District Community Centre
1 Cheong San Lane, Sham Shui Po
 
Wong Tai Sin:
Tsz Wan Shan (South) Estate Community Centre
45 Wan Wah Street, Tsz Wan Shan
 
Yau Tsim Mong:
Henry G Leong Yaumatei Community Centre
60 Public Square Street, Yau Ma Tei
 
New Territories:
—————-
 
Islands:
Tung Chung Community Hall  
G/F, Tung Chung Municipal Services Building, 39 Man Tung Road, Tung Chung
 
Kwai Tsing:
Kwai Shing Community Hall
Podium, Block 6, Kwai Shing West Estate, Kwai Chung
 
North:
North District Community Centre
2 Lung Wan Street, Sheung Shui
 
Sai Kung:
Chi Shin Activity Centre
G/F, Tseung Kwan O South Ancillary Facilities Block
5 Chi Shin Street, Tseung Kwan O
 
Sha Tin:
Lung Hang Estate Community Centre
Lung Hang Estate, Sha Tin
 
Tai Po:
Tai Po Community Centre
2 Heung Sze Wui Street, Tai Po
 
Tsuen Wan:
Lei Muk Shue Community Hall
G/F, Hong Shue House, Lei Muk Shue Estate, Tsuen Wan
 
Tuen Mun:
Butterfly Bay Community Centre
Butterfly Estate (near Tip Sum House), Tuen Mun
 
Yuen Long:
Long Ping Community Hall
Long Ping Estate, Yuen Long

     The Secretary for the Civil Service, Mr Patrick Nip, visited the Community Vaccination Centre (CVC) at the Education Bureau Kowloon Tong Education Services Centre today (February 3) to inspect the first-day operation of the CVC in the Year of the Tiger and to learn more about the views of persons who received vaccination there. He also expressed gratitude to the medical and administrative support staff there for their dedicated efforts to serve the public.
      
     "Twelve CVCs are open in advance to provide vaccination services to the public on the third day of the Lunar New Year and more vaccination venues will resume operation tomorrow (February 4). I hope that members of the public can grasp and treasure the opportunity and get vaccinated," Mr Nip said.
      
     "Recently, there are cases that tested positive for COVID-19 with an unknown source of infection in some districts. Regardless of the districts people reside in, vaccination is the best way for them to protect themselves. Early vaccination means early protection. The Lunar New Year period is also an opportune time for vaccination."
      
     Mr Nip appealed to members of the public who have yet to receive vaccination to get vaccinated as early as possible for self-protection. He also urged the public to make vaccination appointments for the elderly in their families as soon as possible. To assist the elderly in receiving COVID-19 vaccination, elderly persons aged 60 or above are accorded the same-day ticket service at CVCs (except for the CVCs located at private hospitals) so that they can receive vaccination on the day they collect the tickets.
      
     The designated website for the COVID-19 Vaccination Programme (www.covidvaccine.gov.hk/en/programme) provides the latest information including details on vaccination venues, reservation and enquiry hotlines.

      

     The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) today (February 3) announced that in view of individual confirmed cases of coronavirus disease 2019 found to be related to Hung Hom Market, for prudency sake, the market will be closed two hours earlier today at 6pm, and full-day closed tomorrow; deep cleaning and disinfection will be conducted during the closure period, so as to safeguard the health and safety of market stall tenants and the public.

     A spokesman for the FEHD said, "the FEHD has immediately cleaned and disinfected the areas at which the patients worked. Also, during the deep cleaning and disinfection period, the FEHD staff will thoroughly clean and disinfect communal areas and facilities in the market, and calls for co-operation of tenants of the market to conduct cleaning and disinfection at their respective stalls. In addition, the FEHD will arrange street washing in the vicinity of the market."

     The FEHD will maintain liaision with tenants of the market, and ask them to go to community testing centres for free testing and obtain negative results before they return to the market to work. If all goes well, the FEHD will reopen the market on February 5 (Saturday) after the completion of the deep cleansing and disinfection work.

     The spokesman said, "The FEHD attaches importance to the hygiene conditions of public markets. In addition to regular cleaning work in the daytime, market service contractors also conduct thorough cleaning in all markets after the markets are closed every day.  Starting from the second half of 2020, the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department has assisted the FEHD in checking the air change and where necessary installing air purifiers in its markets." 

     "During this epidemic period, the FEHD has already stepped up cleaning and disinfection of communal areas and facilities in the markets, including toilets, escalators, elevators and stair handrails, with diluted household bleach regularly every day. Disinfectant hand sanitisers are also provided in the markets for public use."

     The FEHD will continue to closely monitor the situation of each market, and will conduct deep cleaning and disinfection work in other markets if necessary so as to maintain environmental hygiene.

     The Secretary for Innovation and Technology, Mr Alfred Sit, and the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Christopher Hui, joined the anti-epidemic forces in Tsz Wan Shan Shopping Centre today (February 3). Accompanied by the District Officer (Wong Tai Sin), Mr Steve Wong, Mr Sit and Mr Hui distributed COVID-19 rapid test kits to residents there for voluntary testing to combat the virus and protect themselves and their families. They called for concerted effort to ride out of the epidemic early.
 
     In the face of the risks posed by the highly transmissible variants amid the fifth wave of the epidemic and the positive sewage testing results in some districts, the Government is racking up and distributing rapid test kits to the residents and those working in the district who have been exposed to infection risks to undergo testing on a voluntary basis to achieve “early identification, early isolation and early treatment”. The district offices under the Home Affairs Department have been stepping up co-ordination with various district organisations to mobilise volunteers to assist in packaging and distributing rapid test kits to residents in those districts for them to take the test on their own, in order to help identify infected persons.
 
​     Residents may refer to (www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjLzD3-gab4) for enquiries relating to the use of the rapid test kits.
 
     If positive test result is shown on the test kit, medical attention should be sought at the Accident and Emergency Departments promptly to receive appropriate diagnosis and treatment at the earliest possible time. Residents tested positive should stay home as far as possible to avoid spreading the virus in the community. The Government stresses that rapid test kit testing is not a substitute for the compulsory testing requirement. Individuals who are in doubt about their own health condition, who have visited places with epidemic outbreaks or have had contact with persons tested positive, etc, should undergo testing promptly at testing centres.