Government finishes exercise on “restriction-testing declaration” in respect of specified “restricted area” in Kwai Chung and enforcement operation for breaches of compulsory testing notice (with photos)
The Government yesterday (January 22) 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 8pm yesterday, under which people (hereafter referred to as “persons subject to compulsory testing”) within the specified “restricted area” in Kwai Chung (i.e. Hiu Kwai House, Yuk Kwai House and Nga Kwai House in 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 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 for more than two hours from January 13, 2022 to January 22, 2022, even if they were not present in the “restricted area” at the time when the declaration took effect, to undergo compulsory testing on or before January 24, 2022. The Government completed the compulsory testing exercise at Hiu Kwai House, Yuk Kwai House and Nga Kwai House at around 9.45am today (January 23) and carried out enforcement action in the “restricted area” to verify that 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 12 noon today.
In this exercise, the Home Affairs Department (HAD) (including the North District Office, the Yuen Long District Office and the Wong Tai Sin District Office), the Hong Kong Police Force, the Tobacco and Alcohol Control Office of the Department of Health, the Civil Service Bureau, the Highways Department, the Civil Engineering and Development Department, the Lands Department, the Education Bureau, the Transport Department, the Architectural Services Department and the Working Family and Student Financial Assistance Agency mobilised more than 700 staff to arrange for implementation of the declaration and enforcement actions for breaches of the compulsory testing notice issued earlier.
The HAD also 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. The Government finished the compulsory testing exercise at Hiu Kwai House, Yuk Kwai House and Nga Kwai House at around 9.45am today and took enforcement action in the “restricted area” to verify that 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 testing 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 12 noon. Test records of around 1 350 persons subject to compulsory testing were checked at Hiu Kwai House, Yuk Kwai House and Nga Kwai House. A total of around 70 persons at Hiu Kwan House and Nga Kwai House were found not having undergone compulsory testing and compulsory testing orders were 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 total of about 360 households of Hiu Kwai House, Yuk Kwai House and Nga Kwai House 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.
