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Author Archives: hksar gov

Regional flag-selling activities cancelled

     The Social Welfare Department (SWD) has been informed by three flag day organisers that regional flag-selling activities in public places originally scheduled to be held today (January 22) have been cancelled, a spokesman for the SWD said.
 
     Three charities had been issued Public Subscription Permits to hold flag sales from 7am to 12.30pm today. They are, on Hong Kong Island, Aberdeen Kai-fong Welfare Association Limited; in Kowloon, Rotary Club of Hong Kong City North Community Service Fund Limited; and in the New Territories, Evangelical Lutheran Church Social Service – Hong Kong.
 
     For enquiries, please contact the organisations concerned. Contact information of the organisations is as follows:
 

Region Name of organisation Contact person Contact number
Hong Kong Island Aberdeen Kai-fong Welfare Association Limited Miss Chan 3550 5529
Kowloon Rotary Club of Hong Kong City North Community Service Fund Limited Mr Leung 9047 1287
New Territories Evangelical Lutheran Church Social Service – Hong Kong Miss Hui 3692 5468

     Details of the charitable fund-raising activities covered by the issued Public Subscription Permits have been published on the GovHK website (www.gov.hk/en/theme/fundraising/search). Permits for flag days containing information on contact methods of the flag-selling organisations and the approved flag-selling activities have also been uploaded to the SWD’s website (www.swd.gov.hk/en/index/site_pubsvc/page_controlofc/sub_flagdays) for reference. For enquiries, please call the SWD’s hotline at 2343 2255, or the designated hotline of the 1823 Call Centre at 3142 2678.
 
     In the case of suspected fraudulent flag day activities, people should not make any donation and should immediately report the matter to the Police, the spokesman added. read more

East Asia

Government makes “restriction-testing declaration” and issues compulsory testing notice in respect of specified “restricted area” in Kwai Chung

     The Government yesterday (January 21) 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 4am today (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. 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 7pm today (January 22).
         
     A Government spokesman said, “Under Cap. 599J, the Government can, according to the needs of infection control, make a ‘restriction-testing declaration’. A tested positive case announced the day before yesterday, as well as two cases tested preliminarily positive (with preliminary test result involving a mutant strain) detected yesterday live in the abovementioned building. As 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 has set up temporary specimen collection stations at the “restricted area” and requested persons subject to compulsory testing to undergo testing before 1pm today. Arrangements have been 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 7pm today. 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 issued yesterday, any person who had been present at the above building for more than two hours from January 13 to January 21, 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 23. 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 preliminary case carrying variants of concern suspected to be Omicron are required to undergo compulsory testing on days 2, 3, 4, 7, 12 and 19 counting from the day subsequent to that when the relevant confirmed case last stayed in that building before being admitted to hospital for treatment or leaving Hong Kong.
         
     The Housing Department has set up a hotline (Tel: 2427 9006) which will start operation at 7am 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. read more

East Asia