In view of the Government's plan to implement "vaccine bubble" in government buildings and offices in mid-February, the Social Welfare Department (SWD) today (January 17) announced the implementation of "vaccine bubble" in all residential care homes for the elderly (RCHEs) and residential care homes for persons with disabilities (RCHDs) starting from February 24.
 
     From February 24 onwards, all persons who are employed by and on duty at RCHEs, RCHDs and day service units attached to the premises of residential care homes, or who provide services to residents or users through hire-of-service contracts with residential care homes or the aforementioned units (including full-time, part-time and relief staff), except for those who are unfit for vaccination due to health reasons with relevant proof from a medical practitioner, are required to have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine in order to be eligible for discharging duties at relevant institutions or day service units attached to the premises of the institutions or providing services to the residents or users of the institutions. Staff members of institutions who have only received the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine are still required to complete the COVID-19 vaccination within eight weeks from the day of receiving the first dose of vaccine (the first and the last day inclusive) in order to be eligible for discharging duties at the premises of the institutions or day service units attached to the premises of residential care homes or providing services to the residents or users of the institutions.
 
     The SWD urges institution operators to send timely reminders to their staff members who have not yet received COVID-19 vaccines and/or those organisations or units who have entered into hire-of-service contracts with the institutions on the relevant arrangements in relation to the implementation of "vaccine bubble" in the premises. Arrangements should also be made to facilitate the relevant staff members in receiving the vaccination in an orderly manner.
 
     After the implementation of the aforementioned initiative, staff members who are unfit for vaccination due to health reasons with relevant proof from a medical practitioner; those who have received the first dose of vaccine and those who have received two doses of vaccine in less than 14 days, are required to undergo regular testing in accordance with the requirements of the compulsory testing notice under the Prevention and Control of Disease (Compulsory Testing for Certain Persons) Regulation (Cap. 599J). In addition, the prevailing arrangement for testing fee exemptions for staff members of institutions who are required to undergo compulsory testing in the Community Testing Centres, mobile specimen collection stations or Temporary Testing Centres (if any) will remain unchanged for the time being.
 
     The health and lives of the residents of RCHEs and RCHDs would be placed under serious threat if they are infected with COVID-19 virus. Thus the Government has been urging the institutions to encourage their staff members to get vaccinated as soon as possible. Among those institutions which have joined the Outreach Vaccination Arrangement for Residential Care Homes, staff members can receive the vaccination at their own institutions in parallel to the residents with a view to building an immunity barrier for them. At present, about 95 per cent of the staff members of the institutions have received at least the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine.

     The Scientific Committee on Vaccine Preventable Diseases and the Scientific Committee on Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases (JSC) under the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health, joined by the Chief Executive's expert advisory panel (EAP) today (January 17) published an update of the consensus interim recommendations on the use of COVID-19 vaccines in children in Hong Kong. The JSC-EAP has no objection on allowing the use of CoronaVac vaccine (CoronaVac) in children aged five to 11 and the use of a fractional dose of the Comirnaty vaccine (Comirnaty) for adults in children of that age group.
      
     The JSC-EAP recently revisited and updated the interim recommendations related to the use of COVID-19 vaccines in children, in view of the situation of the Omicron variant with evidence of transmission in the Hong Kong community.
      
     The JSC-EAP has no objection on allowing the use of CoronaVac and the use of a fractional dose (i.e. one-third of a dose) of the Comirnaty for adults in children five to 11 years of age. The experts opined that while both vaccines are expected to lower the risk of severe disease and death, Comirnaty may provide additional protection against Omicron infection; and both vaccines should be rolled out at the same time to provide real choice. The recommendation on dosing interval between the two doses of CoronaVac was 28 days and that for the fractional dose of the Comirnaty for adults was at least 12 weeks apart (i.e. both following relevant recommendations for adolescents aged 12 to 17 years). Children are also recommended to receive the Comirnaty intramuscularly at anterolateral aspect of mid-thigh, although their preference for an injection at upper arm would be respected.
      
     Meanwhile, the updated consensus interim recommendations has highlighted the urgency of inoculating adults aged 60 or above, particularly those in residential care homes for the elderly. They should take priority over children vaccination in the aged five to eleven group.
      
     Details of the interim recommendations are available at the CHP's website www.chp.gov.hk/en/static/24008.html.

     The community recycling network GREEN@COMMUNITY under the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) has received positive feedback from the public since its rebranding at the end of 2020. In addition to boosting significantly the quantity of recyclables collected, the recycling facilities have won various regional design awards. The EPD will continue to expand the network, step up publicity and facilitate public participation in clean recycling, with a view to preparing for the implementation of municipal solid waste charging.
 
     The rebranded GREEN@COMMUNITY features the word "green", which sounds the same as "six" in Cantonese. Currently, there are 11 Recycling Stations, 22 Recycling Stores, and more than 100 Recycling Spots that operate weekly as mobile recycling points at fixed locations and times across the territory. The network receives at least eight types of recyclables and runs the GREEN$ Electronic Participation Incentive Scheme. A new batch of 10 Recycling Stores is also in the pipeline, with services expected to commence gradually in the first half of 2022.
 
     A spokesman for the EPD said, "The new-generation community recycling network has broadened the spectrum of people who participate in clean recycling, attracting tens of thousands of visitors to the facilities every month. The quantity of recyclables collected by the Recycling Stores has far exceeded that of the previous community recycling centres, with the average monthly quantity in 2021 being more than four times greater than that of 2020. The GREEN$ Electronic Participation Scheme has issued more than 110 000 smart cards that can be used in over 100 recycling points of GREEN@COMMUNITY. We launched the brand-new GREEN$ mobile application on January 6, allowing the public to register as members of the GREEN$ Electronic Participation Scheme with their smartphones to further promote the city's participation in clean recycling."
 
     The members of GREEN$ Electronic Participation Scheme can choose to use their GREEN$ smart card or the new mobile app to earn reward points to redeem gifts when dropping off their recyclables at the Recycling Stations, Recycling Stores and Recycling Spots. Members of the public can download the GREEN$ mobile application at www.wastereduction.gov.hk/en/Greenycoins_Mobile_Application.htm.
 
     The design of the Recycling Stores is known for its simplicity and, on the first anniversary of the Recycling Stores' opening, won the top accolade of the DFA Design for Asia Awards organised by the Hong Kong Design Centre last December in recognition of the excellent design. The DFA Design for Asia Awards, with an 18-year history, has seen its international influence grow in the Asian design sector.
 
     In addition, two new Recycling Stations, GREEN@WAN CHAI and GREEN@SAI KUNG, commenced services in phases by the end of last year. The architectural design of GREEN@WAN CHAI has won two awards. Apart from the merit award in the Architectural Services Department Annual Award 2021, it also won a Good Design Award 2021 in Japan recently for its integration with the surrounding environment to promote green culture.
 
     To enhance the public's understanding of the community recycling network services, the EPD has carried out extensive promotion and publicity, including adding icons of Recycling Stations and Recycling Stores to the GeoInfo Map and Google Maps. Signage of Big Waster and Greeny (signifying the "Waste Less" and clean recycling messages respectively) and noticeboards showing the service information of Recycling Spots are posted on nearby lampposts. The EPD has further strengthened the publicity and promotion of the enhanced services of the community recycling network on public transportation services and their stations, and encourages members of the public to go to the nearby GREEN@COMMUNITY facilities for recycling.
 
     The EPD's Green Outreach has also conducted outreach work, through on-site guidance and hands-on demonstrations in the community, to carry out various forms of publicity and promotion activities to educate members of the public on source separation of waste and clean recycling, and share with them the latest information on waste reduction and recycling to get them prepared for the implementation of municipal solid waste charging.

                  

     The Fitness Centre Subsidy Scheme launched under the fifth round of the Anti-epidemic Fund will open for applications on January 20. The Scheme aims to provide a one-off subsidy of $50,000 to each fitness centre with a view to easing their cash flow pressure and alleviating their financial burden arising from their closure starting from January 7 as directed under the Prevention and Control of Disease (Requirements and Directions) (Business and Premises) Regulation (Cap. 599F).
      
     The deadline for application is February 28. Applications will be processed concurrently during the application period and will be assessed on the basis of all the information provided. To avoid delays in processing, applicants should ensure the accuracy of the information submitted.
      
     The Home Affairs Bureau (HAB) has commissioned the Physical Fitness Association of Hong Kong, China to assist in the implementation of the Scheme. For enquiries concerning the Scheme and the application procedure, please call 2389 3538 or send an email to subsidy5.0@hkpfa.org.hk. The application form and guidelines can be downloaded from the website of the HAB (www.hab.gov.hk/en/policy_responsibilities/fitness/aefv5.htm).
      
     According to the Regulation and the Application Guidelines of the Scheme, eligible fitness centres must possess a fixed address and an individually operated premises in Hong Kong where its principal and substantive business is to provide exercise machines or equipment in the premises for use, and/or to give advice and instruction on, training for or assistance in improving physical fitness, including bodybuilding, dancing, yoga, pilates, body stretching and martial arts.

     A spokesman for the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) said today (January 17) that the FEHD continued to step up its inspections territory wide in the past three days and conducted joint operations with the Police in Central and Western District, Eastern District and Yau Tsim District, so as to take stringent enforcement actions against operators, staff and customers of catering businesses and scheduled premises in defiance of the anti-epidemic regulations. The spokesman again reminded parties concerned to remain vigilant and strictly comply with the requirements and directions under the Prevention and Control of Disease (Requirements and Directions) (Business and Premises) Regulation (Cap. 599F) (the Regulation). The FEHD will continue to conduct enforcement operations proactively, and urges premises operators not to defy the law.

     In the operations over the past three days, the FEHD and the Police inspected a total of 57 catering premises during the joint operations; and the FEHD on its own inspected a total of 1 430 catering premises and 544 other premises. The FEHD initiated procedures on prosecution against operators of 15 catering premises suspected of breaching the requirements under the directions. Among the requirements suspected to have been breached, eight related to mask-wearing, three related to the distance or partition between tables, two related to display of notices concerning mode of operation, one related to ensuring scanning the "LeaveHomeSafe" venue QR code by customers and one related to the maximum number of persons allowed to be seated together at one table. The FEHD also required these premises to take corresponding measures for reducing the risk of transmission. They had to, on the subsequent day of being identified of the irregularities by the enforcement officers, cease selling or supplying food or drink for consumption on the premises from 6pm to 4.59am of the subsequent day, and allow no more than two persons to be seated together at one table, ranging from three, seven to 14 days. During the joint operations, the Police also took enforcement actions, including issuing fixed penalty notices.

     If a person responsible for carrying on a catering business contravenes the Regulation, he or she is liable to prosecution and, upon conviction, to a maximum fine of $50,000 and imprisonment for six months. Persons who are present at any premises of a catering business must comply with directions applicable to them. Non-compliance with the relevant directions would be an offence and offenders are subject to a maximum fine of $10,000. The liability may be discharged by paying a fixed penalty of $5,000. In addition, for customers in breach of the requirement on the maximum number of persons per table within catering premises, they are liable to a fixed penalty of $5,000 for violating the Prevention and Control of Disease (Prohibition on Group Gathering) Regulation (Cap. 599G). For customers not wearing a mask when they are eating or drinking not at a table therein or they are not eating or drinking, they are liable to a fixed penalty of $5,000 for contravening the Prevention and Control of Disease (Wearing of Mask) Regulation (Cap. 599I).

     The spokesman stressed that the FEHD will continue to step up law enforcement on catering premises and take stringent enforcement actions against offenders. To minimise the risk of transmission of COVID-19, the spokesman strongly appealed to operators and staff members of all premises as well as members of the public to continue to comply with the relevant regulations on prevention and control of disease and observe all prevailing social distancing measures in a persistent manner and fight the virus together.