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" effective from 7pm yesterday, under which people (hereafter referred to as "persons subject to compulsory testing") within the specified "restricted area" in Sham Shui Po (i.e. 35-37 Nam Cheong Street, Sham Shui Po) were 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. In addition, the Government had issued a compulsory testing notice yesterday to any person who had been present at the building for more than two hours from January 10, 2022 to January 21, 2022 to undergo compulsory testing on or before January 23, 2022 even if they were not present in the "restricted area" at the time when the declaration took effect. The Government finished the compulsory testing exercise at around 7am today (January 22) and is now carrying out enforcement actions in the "restricted area" to verify that all people in the "restricted area" have undergone compulsory testing. The Government will further announce the revocation time of the declaration.
      
     Starting from around 7am today, persons in the "restricted area" in Sham Shui Po who have undergone testing and are able to present SMS notifications with negative test results or wear wristbands as proof of having undergone testing may leave the "restricted area" through the designated exit after providing personal information to a prescribed officer.
      
     The Government arranged dedicated staff to collect samples through combined nasal and throat swabs at the "restricted area" yesterday and requested persons subject to compulsory testing to undergo testing before 11pm yesterday. As at 11pm yesterday, around 50 residents had undergone testing. No cases tested positive were found.
      
     Moreover, the Government also assigned staff to visit around 20 households, among which five households did not answer the door. Those may include some households undergoing quarantine or isolation. Some units are possibly vacant as well. The Government does not have detailed information in this respect and will take measures to follow up.
      
     The Government reiterates that enforcement actions will be taken seriously. Any person who fails to present an SMS notification with a test result or wear a wristband as proof of having undergone testing breaches the compulsory testing notice and may be liable to a fine of $5,000. The person will also be issued with a compulsory testing order, requiring him/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 may be liable to a fine of level 4 ($25,000) and imprisonment for six months.

     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:
 

     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.

     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.

     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) today (January 21) said it is following up on cases tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 related to pet shops.

     As of today, 8 cases tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 are related to pet shops, which are 13047, 13059, 13073, 13110, 13118, 13120, 13123 and 13124. Epidemiological investigations on the cases are ongoing.

     As at January 21 evening, CHP has collected a total of 738 environmental samples from 40 pet shops and relevant warehouses, in which a total of 30 environmental samples tested positive. The latest laboratory testing results revealed that environmental samples collected from two additional pet shops (I Love Rabbit at 545 Lockhart Road, Causeway Bay; and I Love Rabbit at Tai Po Plaza) also tested positive.

     As a prudent measure, the two newly added pet shops will be included in a compulsory testing notice. Specified persons who were present at the relevant venues from January 7 to January 18 need to undergo compulsory testing on the specified date. The staff members of the two shops will be arranged to undergo compulsory quarantine at the quarantine centre.

     The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department collected samples from hamsters at the pet shop earlier which tested positive. Based on the results of epidemiological investigation and laboratory findings the CHP possesses at this stage, it could not be ruled out preliminarily that the positive test results of the environmental samples are caused by the pets infected with the virus.

     The COVID-19 Vaccination Programme has been implemented for 331 days since February 26, 2021.
      
     So far, about 10 718 600 doses of vaccines have been administered under the Vaccination Programme. Details are as follows:
 

* The numbers are rounded to the nearest hundred.
 
     In the 24 hours ending at 8pm today (January 21), about 47 800 persons have received vaccination. Details are as follows:
 

* The numbers are rounded to the nearest hundred.
 
     About 630 children aged 5 to 11 received the first dose of the Sinovac vaccine today.