Author Archives: hksar gov

     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) today (January 29) reminded the public, particularly the elderly and people with chronic illnesses, to adopt appropriate measures to protect their health in view of the cold weather.

     A spokesman for the CHP said that cold weather can easily trigger or exacerbate diseases, especially among the elderly and persons suffering from heart disease, respiratory illness or other chronic illnesses.

     “Elderly people have less insulating fat beneath their skin to keep them warm and their body temperature control mechanism may be weaker. Their body may not be able to appropriately respond to the cold weather,” the spokesman said.

     Some senior persons may have decreased mobility, which can in turn slow down their ability to generate and conserve body heat. Chronic illnesses, such as hypertension, diabetes and endocrine disorders, may undermine the health of elderly people and lower their metabolic rate, subsequently causing their body to generate less heat.

     The CHP reminded the public, in particular the elderly and persons with chronic illnesses, to adopt the following preventive measures:
 

• Take note of the weather forecast. Wear warm clothing, including hats, scarves, gloves and socks accordingly;
• Consume sufficient food to ensure adequate calorie intake;
• Perform regular exercise to facilitate blood circulation and heat production;
• Stay in a warm environment and avoid prolonged outdoor exposure;
• Use heaters with care, and maintain adequate indoor ventilation; and
• Seek medical advice if feeling unwell.
•      In addition, the public should avoid alcoholic beverages.
  
       “Drinking alcohol cannot keep you warm. Alcohol accelerates the loss of body heat through dilated blood vessels, resulting in chilling instead,” the spokesman said.
  
       “Parents should ensure that babies are sufficiently warm, but it is also important to keep babies lightly clothed to avoid overheating them,” the spokesman added.
  
       Parents should observe the following safety measures when putting their children to bed:

 

• Keep the room well ventilated and at a comfortable temperature;
• Always place babies on their back to sleep. Leave their head, face and arms uncovered during sleep;
• Babies do not need pillows. Place babies on a firm and well-fitted mattress to sleep. Avoid soft objects, pillows and loose bedding;
• Let babies sleep in a cot placed in the parents’ room and near their bed; and
• Maintain a smoke-free environment.

 
In addition, seasonal influenza vaccination is recommended for all persons aged 6 months or above except those with known contraindications. Persons at higher risk of getting influenza and its complications, including the elderly and children, should receive seasonal influenza vaccination early. Please see details of the vaccination schemes on the CHP’s website.
 
A person who gets influenza and COVID-19 at the same time may be more seriously ill and would have a higher risk of death. Influenza vaccination may reduce the likelihood of hospitalisation and the length of stay. It is important to receive both seasonal influenza vaccination and COVID-19 vaccination as soon as possible, in particular for elderly persons residing in the community or residential care homes. The public should also maintain good personal and environmental hygiene against respiratory illnesses and note the following:
 

• Surgical masks can prevent transmission of respiratory viruses from ill persons. It is essential for persons who are symptomatic (even if having mild symptoms) to wear a surgical mask;
• Wear a surgical mask when taking public transport or staying in crowded places. It is important to wear a mask properly, including performing hand hygiene before wearing and after removing a mask;
• Avoid touching one’s eyes, mouth and nose;
• Wash hands with liquid soap and water properly whenever possibly contaminated;
• When hands are not visibly soiled, clean them with 70 to 80 per cent alcohol-based handrub;
• Cover the mouth and nose with tissue paper when sneezing or coughing. Dispose of soiled tissue paper properly into a lidded rubbish bin, and wash hands thoroughly afterwards;
• Maintain good indoor ventilation;
• When having respiratory symptoms, wear a surgical mask, refrain from work or attending classes at school, avoid going to crowded places and seek medical advice promptly; and
• Maintain a balanced diet, exercise regularly, take adequate rest, do not smoke and avoid overstress.

    
     Food-borne diseases, particularly those linked to hot pot cuisine, are also common in cold weather. The following preventive measures should be taken:
 

• Wash hands before handling and consuming food;
• Do not patronise unlicensed vendors or those with poor hygienic standards while selecting food;
• Wash and cook all food thoroughly;
• Vegetables should be washed thoroughly in clean running water before cooking and consumption. When appropriate, scrub vegetables with hard surfaces with a clean brush to remove dirt and substances, including pesticide residues and contaminants, from the surface and crevices;
• Shrimps should be fully cooked until the shells turn red and the flesh turns white and opaque;
• For shellfish like scallops and geoduck, scrub the shells thoroughly and remove internal organs;
• Most hot pot ingredients should be stored in a refrigerator at 4 degrees Celsius or below, while frozen food should be stored in a freezer at -18 degrees C or below;
• Never use raw eggs as a dipping sauce for hot pot; and
• Use different sets of chopsticks to handle raw and cooked food to avoid cross-contamination.

     In addition, the public should not use charcoal as a cooking fuel in poorly ventilated areas, especially indoors, to avoid harmful exposure to carbon monoxide (CO) and prevent CO poisoning. While using other kinds of fuel, the public should also ensure adequate ventilation.

     For more health information, the public may call the DH’s Health Education Infoline (2833 0111) or visit the CHP’s website and Facebook Fanpage.

     The public may also call Dial-a-Weather (1878 200) or visit the website of the Hong Kong Observatory for the latest weather information and forecast, or its page on Weather Information for Senior Citizens. read more

Attention duty announcers, radio and TV stations:      Please broadcast the following special announcement immediately, and repeat it at frequent intervals when the Cold Weather Warning is in force:    &nbs… read more

     The Government exercised the power under the Prevention and Control of Disease (Compulsory Testing for Certain Persons) Regulation (Cap. 599J) on January 21 to make a “restriction-testing declaration” effective from 4am on January 22, under which people (hereafter referred to as “persons subject to compulsory testing”) within the specified “restricted area” in Kwai Chung (i.e. Ying Kwai House, Kwai Chung Estate) 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. Those who have visited Ying Kwai House in the past two weeks for more than two hours should undergo testing on January 28 in accordance with the compulsory testing notice issued earlier. The Government announced the completion of the compulsory testing exercise at around 7am today (January 29) 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 10am today.
      
     In this exercise, the Housing Department, the Kwai Tsing District Office, the Hong Kong Police Force, the Department of Health, the Auxiliary Medical Service and the Social Welfare Department mobilised around 260 staff to arrange for implementation of the declaration and enforcement actions for breaches of the compulsory testing notice issued earlier.
 
     During the effective period of the relevant declaration and compulsory testing notice, the Government delivered breakfast, lunch and dinner to persons subject to compulsory testing and provided simple food for them, including canned food, instant noodles and corn kernels, so as to facilitate their meal arrangements. In addition, the Government also provided anti-epidemic items like face masks for persons subject to compulsory testing.
 
     The Housing Department set up a hotline for people restricted by the declaration to make enquiries and seek assistance.
 
     The Government thanks persons subject to compulsory testing for their support and understanding. With everyone’s co-operation and efforts, coupled with the tireless efforts of the testing contractors, residents have been informed about their testing results by SMS notification. After finishing the compulsory testing exercise at around 7am 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 a SMS notification containing a negative test 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 10am. Test records of 951 persons subject to compulsory testing were checked. Nobody was found to have not undergone compulsory testing. 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 reminded the households who showed no response to contact the Government for arrangement of testing 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 $5,000. 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 4 ($25,000) and imprisonment for six months.

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     A 36-year-old male police sergeant who is posted to the Police Headquarters, preliminarily tested positive for COVID-19. He visited his family members in Kwai Chung Estate on January 20 and was arranged for COVID-19 test. … read more

     The Government earlier exercised the power under the Prevention and Control of Disease (Compulsory Testing for Certain Persons) Regulation (Cap. 599J) to make a “restriction-testing declaration”, under which people (hereafter referred to as “persons subject to compulsory testing”) within the specified “restricted area” in Kwai Chung (i.e. Ha Kwai House, Kwai Chung Estate) are required to stay in their premises and undergo compulsory testing. The declaration has been effective from 7pm, January 24. The Government extended the period of operation on January 25 and aimed at finishing the exercise at about 7am today (January 29). Persons subject to compulsory testing are required to stay in their premises and undergo five tests under the designated arrangement (including those conducted in the past few days under the declaration), until all such persons identified in the “restricted area” have undergone testing and the test results are mostly ascertained, and upon the agreement of the Secretary for Food and Health having regard to all the circumstances and the public interest of Hong Kong. The Government finished the compulsory testing exercise at around 7am today 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 10am today.
      
     In this exercise, the Housing Department, the Kwai Tsing District Office, the Tsuen Wan District Office, the Hong Kong Police Force, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department, the Social Welfare Department and the Auxiliary Medical Service mobilised around 1 286 staff to arrange for implementation of the declaration and enforcement actions for breaches of the compulsory testing notice issued earlier.
      
     The Government delivered breakfast, lunch and dinner boxes to persons subject to compulsory testing and provided simple food for them, including canned food and instant noodles, so as to facilitate the meal arrangements of persons subject to compulsory testing. One box of masks was also provided to each person subject to compulsory testing to help them fight against the virus.
      
     The Housing Department set up hotlines 2751 4421 / 2751 4424 / 2751 4428 for people restricted by the declaration to make enquiries and seek assistance.
      
     The Government thanks persons subject to compulsory testing for their support and understanding. With everyone’s co-operation and efforts, coupled with the tireless efforts of the testing contractors, residents have been informed about their testing results by SMS notification. After finishing the compulsory testing exercise at around 7am 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 test result could leave the “restricted area” through the designated exit after providing personal information to a prescribed officer. The enforcement operation was completed at around 10am. Test records of 579 persons subject to compulsory testing were checked. No person was found to have not undergone compulsory testing. 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 reminded the households who have not answered the door to contact the Government for arrangement of testing 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 $5,000. 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 4 ($25,000) and imprisonment for six months.

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