The Social Welfare Department (SWD) is inviting eligible individuals or organisations to submit applications from tomorrow (January 19) until February 28 for the IT Scheme for People with Visual Impairment (3rd Round). Eligible individuals may also apply for the Central Fund for Personal Computers (45th Round) during the same period.
 
     The objectives of the IT Scheme for People with Visual Impairment (the Scheme) are to support non-profit-making and non-governmental organisations providing services or schooling for people with visual impairment (PVI) as well as tertiary institutions to acquire advanced Chinese screen readers, Braille displays of 40 cells and accessories/portable devices to facilitate PVI's browsing the Internet, and to subsidise individual PVI with economic difficulties to purchase these devices to meet their needs on studying or employment.
 
     Subsidies will be granted to successful organisational applicants for purchasing a set of high-performance Chinese screen readers (capped at $9,800) and/or a Braille display (capped at $36,000) and/or accessories/portable devices (capped at $66,300) on the reference list under the Scheme. Successful individual applicants will be sponsored to purchase a set of high-performance Chinese screen readers with an amount not more than $9,800 and/or accessories/portable devices not more than $49,600 and/or a Braille display on the same reference list not more than $32,400.
 
     Eligible organisations may lodge their applications by completing the designated forms. For individual applicants, a nomination from subvented non-governmental rehabilitation organisations, the student affairs offices of local tertiary institutions, principals of local secondary/primary schools, or the Selective Placement Division of the Labour Department (LD) is required, and the application should be submitted through the nominating organisation in the designated form. Quotations for the devices concerned must be submitted together with the applications. Invitation letters have been sent to the relevant organisations to invite nominations.
 
     The Central Fund for Personal Computers aims to assist eligible persons with disabilities in acquiring the necessary computer facilities for self-employment or receiving supported employment services at home with the guidance and follow-up services provided by the referral rehabilitation organisations or the Selective Placement Division of the LD. Applicants must:
 
(a) be users of rehabilitation services of and nominated by rehabilitation service organisations or the Selective Placement Division of the LD;
(b) have difficulties in engaging in open employment;
(c) provide a viable business plan which requires the use of computer facilities;
(d) have financial difficulty in acquiring the computer facilities necessary for implementation of the business plan;
(e) be capable of using a computer to carry out the business plan; and
(f) obtain the consent of the nominating organisations or the LD to provide guidance and follow-up services after applicants' acquisition of the computer facilities.
 
     Details of the above schemes are available on the SWD website (www.swd.gov.hk) and CyberAble.net (www.CyberAble.net). Information notes and application forms can be downloaded from the websites. For enquiries, please contact the Rehabilitation and Medical Social Services Branch of the SWD at 3586 3594, through email to eoimc@swd.gov.hk or by fax to 2834 7046.

     The Social Welfare Department (SWD) today (January 18) launched the fourth round of the Child Care Centre Special Grant under the Anti-epidemic Fund to provide assistance for child care centres (CCCs) to tide them over financial difficulties due to the COVID-19 epidemic.

     The SWD will issue letters to all aided and non-aided CCCs today inviting them to apply for the new round of the special grant. A one-off special grant will be given to aided and non-aided CCCs, including CCCs for children aged 0 to under 3 attached to kindergartens. The amount of grant is calculated according to the number of enrolled children as at January 3, 2022, at a full-day rate of $2,000 and a half-day rate of $1,000 for each enrolled child or the approved monthly fee, whichever is the less. 

     The deadline for application is January 25, 2022. After approval, the payment will be made starting from late February 2022.

     The Government yesterday (January 17) 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 Tai Po (i.e. Kui Wo House, Tai Wo Estate, Tai Po) 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 building for more than two hours from December 28, 2021 to January 17, 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 19, 2022. The Government announced the completion of the compulsory testing exercise at around 7am today (January 18) and carried out enforcement action in the "restricted area" afterwards to verify that all 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 9.30am today.
      
     In this exercise, the Home Affairs Department (HAD) (including the Tai Po District Office), the Hong Kong Police Force and the Department of Health mobilised around 280 staff to arrange for implementation of the declaration and enforcement actions for breaches of the compulsory testing notice issued earlier.
      
     The Government provided simple food for persons subject to compulsory testing, including bottled water, canned food, cup noodles and corn kernels, so as to facilitate the dinner arrangements of some persons subject to compulsory testing. One box of masks was also provided to each person subject to compulsory testing to help them fight against the virus.
      
     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. After finishing the compulsory testing exercise at around 7am today, the Government took enforcement action in the "restricted area" immediately to verify that all 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 9.30am. Test records of around 940 persons subject to compulsory testing were checked. Eighteen persons 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 about 60 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. 

  

     The Government yesterday (January 17) 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 7.30pm yesterday, under which people (hereafter referred to as "persons subject to compulsory testing") within the specified "restricted area" in Cheung Sha Wan (i.e. Po Wah Court, 450-464 Un Chau Street, Cheung Sha Wan, excluding the shops located on G/F of Po Wah Court) 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 building for more than two hours from January 10, 2022 to January 17, 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 19, 2022. The Government announced the completion of the compulsory testing exercise at around 7am today (January 18) and carried out enforcement action in the "restricted area" afterwards to verify that all 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 9.15am today.
      
     In this exercise, the Home Affairs Department (HAD) (including the Sham Shui Po District Office), the Hong Kong Police Force, the Department of Health, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department and the Auxiliary Medical Service mobilised around 110 staff to arrange for implementation of the declaration and enforcement actions for breaches of the compulsory testing notice issued earlier.
      
     The Government provided simple food for persons subject to compulsory testing, including canned food, cup noodles and corn kernels, so as to facilitate the dinner arrangements of some persons subject to compulsory testing. One box of masks and hand sanitizer were also provided to each person subject to compulsory testing to help them fight against the virus.
      
     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. After finishing the compulsory testing exercise at around 7am today, the Government took enforcement action in the "restricted area" immediately to verify that all 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 9.15am. Test records of around 80 persons subject to compulsory testing were checked. Nobody was found to have not undergone compulsory testing.
      
     The Government reminds the four 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. 
     

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     During the winter surge, the Hospital Authority closely monitors the service demand of Accident and Emergency Departments and the occupancy rates in public hospitals. Key service statistics are being issued daily for public information. Details are in the appended table.