The Government today (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, under which people (hereafter referred to as "persons subject to compulsory testing") within 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. See Annex) are 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. The Government aims at finishing this exercise at about 10am tomorrow (January 28).
 
     A Government spokesman said, "Under Cap. 599J, the Government can, according to the needs of infection control, make a 'restriction-testing declaration'. As the sewage discharged from the above building was tested positive, it is suspected that there are asymptomatic patients in the building. Given the risk of infection in the relevant area is assessed to be likely higher, the Government decided to make a 'restriction-testing declaration' for the relevant area."
 
     The Government will set up temporary specimen collection stations at the "restricted area" and request persons subject to compulsory testing to undergo testing before 2am tomorrow. Arrangements will be made for persons subject to compulsory testing to undergo a nucleic acid test at specimen collection stations where dedicated staff will collect samples through combined nasal and throat swabs. Persons subject to compulsory testing must stay at their place of residence until all test results are ascertained to avoid cross-infection risk. The Government will arrange for door-to-door specimen collection for people with impaired mobility and elderly persons.
 
     The Government spokesman said, "We understand that this exercise will cause inconvenience to the public. The Government has made arrangements to carry out testing for all persons present in the 'restricted area' as soon as possible. The aim is to strive to complete testing of all identified persons subject to compulsory testing and confirm the results, and finish the exercise at around 10am tomorrow. The Government will make a public announcement when the declaration expires officially. In the cases in which employees are unable to go to work because of the declaration, the Government hopes their employers can exercise discretion and not deduct the salaries or benefits of the employees."
 
    If staying in the "restricted area" will cause unreasonable hardship to individuals who are not residents in the area when the declaration takes effect, government officers may exercise discretion and allow that person to leave the area after considering the individual circumstances. That person must have followed the instructions to undergo testing and leave his/her personal information for contact purposes.
 
     According to the compulsory testing notice to be issued today, any person 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 to January 27, 2022, even if they were not present in the 'restricted area' at the time when the declaration took effect, must undergo compulsory testing on or before January 29, 2022. As a mutant strain is involved, and having considered relevant infection risks, for prudence's sake, vaccinated persons and persons who have recently been tested are also required to undergo testing.
 
     The Government appeals to persons subject to compulsory testing for their full co-operation by registering and undergoing testing, and waiting for the results patiently at home. The Government will strictly follow up on whether the persons concerned have complied with the compulsory testing notices and "restriction-testing declaration". Any person who fails to comply with the compulsory testing notices commits an offence and may be fined a fixed penalty of $5,000. The person would 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 compulsory testing order or the "restriction-testing declaration" is an offence and the offender would be liable to a fine at level 4 ($25,000) and imprisonment for six months.

     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health is today (January 27) investigating a suspected ciguatoxin poisoning case affecting one person.

     The affected 44-year-old male developed symptoms of ciguatoxin poisoning including abdominal pain, perioral and limb numbness, as well as change in temperature perception about half an hour to 10 hours after consuming a marine fish for dinner at home on January 22. He attended the Accident and Emergency Department of Prince of Wales Hospital on January 24 and was discharged on January 26. He is in a stable condition.

     Initial enquiries revealed that the fish consumed was bought from a fish stall in Tai Wai Market in Tai Wai, on January 21.

     "We have informed the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department of the incident and investigations are ongoing," a spokesman for the CHP said.

     Ciguatera fish poisoning is not uncommon in tropical areas. It is mainly associated with the consumption of big coral reef fish which have accumulated the toxin in the body, particularly in internal organs, through eating small fish that consumed toxic algae in coral reef seas.

     A larger fish is therefore more likely to carry higher amounts of the toxin. However, it is not easy to tell from the appearance of the fish whether it contains the toxin.

     People affected may have symptoms of numbness of the mouth and limbs, vomiting, diarrhoea, alternating sensations of coldness and hotness, and pain in the joints and muscles.

     "Most people affected by ciguatoxin will recover without long-term health effects, but if excessive toxins are consumed, the circulatory and nervous systems can be affected. The toxin cannot be destroyed by cooking," the spokesman said.

     To prevent ciguatera fish poisoning, the public should:
 

• Eat less coral reef fish;
• Eat small amounts of coral reef fish at any meal and avoid having a whole fish feast in which all dishes come from the same big coral reef fish;
• Avoid eating the head, skin, intestines and roe of coral reef fish, which usually have a higher concentration of toxins;
• When eating coral reef fish, avoid consuming alcohol, peanuts or beans as they may aggravate ciguatoxin poisoning;
• Seek medical treatment immediately should symptoms of ciguatoxin fish poisoning appear; and
• Coral reef fish should be purchased from reputable and licensed seafood shops. Do not buy the fish when the source is in doubt.

     The Government today (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" (declaration) effective from 9.30pm, under which people (hereafter referred to as "persons subject to compulsory testing") within the specified "restricted area" in Kwun Tong (i.e. On Shun Building, 15-31 Shung Yan Street, Kwun Tong, excluding the shops located on the ground floor of On Shun Building. See Annex) are 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. The Government aims at finishing this exercise at about 7am tomorrow (January 28).
 
     A Government spokesman said, "Under Cap. 599J, the Government can, according to the needs of infection control, make a 'restriction-testing declaration'. As a case tested preliminarily positive who has lived in the abovementioned building was detected today, and the preliminary test result involved a mutant strain, the risk of infection in the relevant area is assessed to be likely higher, so the Government decided to make a 'restriction-testing declaration' for the relevant area."
 
     The Government will set up temporary specimen collection stations at the "restricted area" and request persons subject to compulsory testing to undergo testing before 12am tomorrow. Arrangements will be made for persons subject to compulsory testing to undergo a nucleic acid test at specimen collection stations where dedicated staff will collect samples through combined nasal and throat swabs. Persons subject to compulsory testing must stay at their place of residence until all test results are ascertained to avoid cross-infection risk. The Government will arrange for door-to-door specimen collection for people with impaired mobility and elderly persons.
 
     The Government spokesman said, "We understand that this exercise will cause inconvenience to the public. The Government has made arrangements to carry out testing for all persons present in the 'restricted area' as soon as possible. The aim is to strive to complete testing of all identified persons subject to compulsory testing and confirm the results, and finish the exercise at around 7am tomorrow. The Government will make a public announcement when the declaration expires officially. In the cases in which employees are unable to go to work because of the declaration, the Government hopes their employers can exercise discretion and not deduct the salaries or benefits of the employees."
 
     If staying in the "restricted area" will cause unreasonable hardship to individuals who are not residents in the area when the declaration takes effect, government officers may exercise discretion and allow that person to leave the area after considering the individual circumstances. That person must have followed the instructions to undergo testing and leave his/her personal information for contact purposes.
 
     According to the compulsory testing notice to be issued today, any person who had been present at the above building for more than two hours from January 22, 2022 to January 27, 2022, even if they were not present in the "restricted area" at the time when the declaration took effect, must undergo compulsory testing on or before January 29, 2022. As a mutant strain is involved, and having considered relevant infection risks, for prudence's sake, vaccinated persons and persons who have recently been tested are also required to undergo testing.
 
     In addition, in accordance with the latest arrangement, persons who resided in the same building as the case involving a mutant strain are required to undergo compulsory testing on days 2, 3, 4 and 7 counting from the day subsequent to that when the case last stayed in that building before being admitted to hospital for treatment or leaving Hong Kong.
 
     The Home Affairs Department has set up a hotline (Tel: 2835 1473) which starts operation at 9.30pm today for residents restricted by the declaration to make enquiries and seek assistance. The Social Welfare Department will also provide assistance to the affected persons.
 
     The Government appeals to persons subject to compulsory testing for their full co-operation by registering and undergoing testing, and waiting for the results patiently at home. The Government will strictly follow up on whether the persons concerned have complied with the compulsory testing notices and "restriction-testing declaration". Any person who fails to comply with the compulsory testing notices commits an offence and may be fined a fixed penalty of $5,000. The person would 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 compulsory testing order or the "restriction-testing declaration" is an offence and the offender would be liable to a fine at level 4 ($25,000) and imprisonment for six months.

     With the rampant COVID-19 epidemic situation still raging and the faster and more extensive spread of the virus as a result of the mutant strains, and the fact that so far only about 26 per cent of the residents at the residential care homes for the elderly (RCHEs) and the residential care homes for persons with disabilities (RCHDs) having received vaccination despite various government vaccination programmes for these residents thus far, the Government announced today (January 27) that the following enhanced measures will be implemented:
 

1. The Government will require all residential care homes to submit the health records of their residents to doctors to assess suitability for receiving vaccination;
2. For residents who have been assessed by doctors as suitable for vaccination and are able to give consent, the Government will arrange vaccinations for them as early as possible and inform their family;
3. For residents who have been assessed by doctors as suitable for vaccination but are unable to give consent, the Government will seek the views of their legal guardians / family members. Unless written objections are submitted by their legal guardians / family members within a given period of time, the Government will arrange vaccination for these residents as early as possible; and
4. For residents who have no legal guardian and are unable to give consent, doctors as usual will decide whether to administer vaccine to these residents based on their professional judgment.

 
     In addition, the Government will prescribe a date, and starting from that date, all persons to be newly admitted to RCHEs/RCHDs for long-term abode must have received one dose of vaccination, unless medical proofs of unsuitability to receive vaccination can be produced.
      
     The RCHEs/RCHDs will be informed of the implementation details soon.

     The Inland Revenue Department today (January 27) said the department was notified by the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) today that a person who visited the Business Registration Office (BRO) on the fourth floor of Revenue Tower in Wan Chai on January 17 had tested positive for COVID-19.

     The department has completed thorough cleaning and sterilisation at the fourth floor of Revenue Tower in accordance with the CHP’s advice, and will arrange for staff of the BRO to undergo COVID-19 testing. 
 
     In view that a number of staff are required to undergo COVID-19 testing, the BRO will only be able to provide limited services on January 28, January 31 and February 4 from 9am to noon and from 1.30pm to 4pm.  The following services will be suspended during these three days:

1.    Instant services for new application and amendment of the business registration (BR) particulars;
2.    Payment service;
3.    Public search services in respect of application for BR documents and delivery of BR documents over the counter.
 
     No same-day tickets will be distributed on the above three days.  Members of the public who have made prior appointments through the online appointment booking system will still be served at the counters but they should be prepared to experience a longer waiting time.  They may change the appointment online if they consider necessary.  Those who have not made prior appointment will not be served.
 
     Members of the public are requested to submit documents to the BRO by post or through the BRO Drop-in Boxes on G/F and at Central Enquiry Counter on 1/F of the Revenue Tower, 5 Gloucester Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong.  The department also encourages the public to use the BR electronic services at GovHK (www.gov.hk/en/business/registration/businesscompany/index.htm) to handle their BR affairs and make payment of the BR fee and levy by electronic means, such as by PPS, bank Automatic Teller Machine (ATM) or via internet, by post, at post offices or convenience stores.
 
     For enquiries on the above temporary arrangements, please call the department’s enquiry hotline 187 8088 from 9am to 12.30pm and from 1.30pm to 4pm.
 
     During the situation of COVID-19 infection, the department has been strictly implementing disease prevention measures.  The department will continue to maintain close liaison with the CHP, actively co-operate with CHP's quarantine arrangements and remind its staff to pay attention to personal hygiene and stay vigilant.