Government finishes exercise on “restriction-testing declaration” in respect of specified “restricted area” in Wong Tai Sin and enforcement operation for breaches of compulsory testing notice (with photo)
The Government yesterday (January 27) 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 10pm yesterday, under which people (hereafter referred to as “persons subject to compulsory testing”) within the related area of the specified “restricted area” in Wong Tai Sin (i.e. Block 1 and Block 2 of Hsin Kuang Centre, 120 Lung Cheung Road, Wong Tai Sin) 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 related area of 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 buildings, Hsin Kuang Centre M2 Square and the carpark thereat for more than two hours from January 14, 2022 to January 27, 2022, even if they were not present in the related area of the “restricted area” at the time when the declaration took effect, to undergo compulsory testing on or before January 29, 2022. The Government announced the completion of the compulsory testing exercise at around 10.50am today (January 28) and carried out enforcement action in the related area of the “restricted area” afterwards to verify that all people in the related area of 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 2.45pm today.
In this exercise, the Environment Bureau, the Environmental Protection Department, the Education Bureau, the Home Affairs Department (including the Wong Tai Sin District Office), the Hong Kong Police Force, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department and the Tobacco and Alcohol Control Office of the Department of Health mobilised around 190 staff to arrange for implementation of the declaration and enforcement actions for breaches of the compulsory testing notice issued earlier.
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 10.50am today, the Government took enforcement action in the related area of the “restricted area” immediately to verify that all people in the related area of 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 related area of the “restricted area” through the designated exit after providing personal information to a prescribed officer. The enforcement operation was completed at around 2.45pm. Test records of around 362 persons subject to compulsory testing were checked. Thirty-seven persons were found not having undergone compulsory testing and compulsory testing order was 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 47 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.
