The Immigration Department (ImmD) today (January 13) said that in relation to a person who had visited the Tuen Mun Registration of Persons Office located at 3/F, Tuen Mun Siu Lun Government Complex, and had subsequently tested positive for COVID-19, the Government exercised the power under the Prevention and Control of Disease (Compulsory Testing for Certain Persons) Regulation (Cap. 599J) and published in the Gazette a compulsory testing notice (Notice), which requires any person who had been present at the relevant office from 10am to 10.30am on January 3 to undergo COVID-19 nucleic acid tests three times on January 11 or January 12, January 15 and January 22. In accordance with the Notice and the advice of the Centre for Health Protection (CHP), the ImmD had arranged all staff of the office to undergo COVID-19 testing and conducted a thorough cleaning and sterilisation at the office on January 11. The ImmD will arrange all staff of the office to undergo additional tests on January 15 and January 22. The office will suspend service on January 15 and January 22. Public services of the office will be resumed on the next working day (January 17 and January 24).     

     Members of the public who have appointments at the Tuen Mun Registration of Persons Office on January 15 or January 22 may consider proceeding to the office in the other days without the need to make another appointment. Members of the public may also consider proceeding to other Registration of Persons Offices for identity card applications or the branch offices located at Fo Tan and Yuen Long for applying for identity cards and travel documents during the closure of the office. Information on the address and working hours of other Registration of Persons Offices and Branch Offices can be obtained at www.immd.gov.hk/eng/contactus/address.html. For enquiries during the closure of the office, please contact the ImmD by calling the enquiry hotline 3521 6565 during office hours.     

     During the situation of COVID-19 infection, the ImmD has been strictly implementing various disease prevention measures, including measuring the body temperature of and providing alcohol-based handrub to all persons before their entry into ImmD offices, providing employees with masks and other protective equipment, requiring employees to wear masks when performing duties, and stepping up cleaning and sterilising measures for the working environment.      

     The ImmD will continue to maintain close liaison with CHP. The ImmD has also reminded its staff to pay attention to personal hygiene and stay vigilant. Staff have been reminded to seek medical advice and inform the department as soon as possible if feeling unwell.

     Three Mainland transit passengers were convicted of conspiracy to obtain airline services by deception and were each sentenced to 20 months' imprisonment at the District Court today (January 13).
      
     The Immigration Department (ImmD) launched a series of anti-illegal migration operations at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) last year and detected an illegal migration case of Mainlanders using false Mexican permanent resident identity cards in seeking illegal entry to Mexico. In April 2021, ImmD investigators apprehended three Mainlanders including two males and one female, aged 31 to 57, inside the restricted area of HKIA. Investigations revealed that the Mainlanders arrived at HKIA as transit passengers via the sea-to-air transfer ferry service from Shenzhen Shekou Port, and attempted to obtain the boarding passes for Mexico via the Netherlands from the airline by using false Mexican permanent resident identity cards. They procured one-stop services, including false documents, air tickets, lodging and employment in Mexico from middlemen in the Mainland at the maximum cost of RMB60,000.
      
     Moreover, two more cases of the same nature were uncovered by ImmD investigators last year, when three male Mainlanders were arrested for attempting to obtain airline services for Mexico via the Netherlands by using similar modus-operandi. They were convicted and sentenced to eight to 11 months' imprisonment earlier.
          
     The ImmD spokesman warned that, under the laws of Hong Kong, people who, by any deception, dishonestly obtain services from another shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable, upon conviction, to imprisonment for 10 years.

      The Government today (January 13) 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 7.30pm, under which people (hereafter referred to as "persons subject to compulsory testing") within the specified "restricted area" in Tuen Mun (i.e. Block 2, Hoi Tak Gardens, 13-17 Wing Fat Lane, Tuen Mun. 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 7am tomorrow (January 14).
      
     A Government spokesman said, "Under Cap. 599J, the Government can, according to the needs of infection control, make a 'restriction-testing declaration'. As a case tested preliminarily positive who has lived in the abovementioned building was detected today, and it is suspected that a mutant strain is involved, the risk of infection in the relevant area is assessed to be likely higher, so the Government decided to make a 'restriction-testing declaration' for the relevant area after the test result was found to be positive."
      
     The Government will set up temporary specimen collection stations at the "restricted area" and request persons subject to compulsory testing to undergo testing before 12.30am tomorrow. Arrangements will be 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 7am tomorrow. 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 to be issued today, any person who had been present at the above building for more than two hours from January 4, 2022 to January 13, 2022, 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 15, 2022. 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 case tested preliminarily positive carrying variant 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 Home Affairs Department has set up a hotline (Tel: 2835 1473) which starts operation at 7.30pm 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 is today (January 13) closely monitoring five human cases of avian influenza A(H5N6) in the Mainland, and again urged the public to maintain strict personal, food and environmental hygiene both locally and during travel.

     Details of the cases are listed in the table below:
 

     From 2014 to date, 63 human cases of avian influenza A(H5N6) have been reported by Mainland health authorities.

     "All novel influenza A infections, including H5N6, are notifiable infectious diseases in Hong Kong," a spokesman for the CHP said.

     Travellers to the Mainland or other affected areas must avoid visiting wet markets, live poultry markets or farms. They should be alert to the presence of backyard poultry when visiting relatives and friends. They should also avoid purchasing live or freshly slaughtered poultry, and avoid touching poultry/birds or their droppings. They should strictly observe personal and hand hygiene when visiting any place with live poultry.

     Travellers returning from affected areas should consult a doctor promptly if symptoms develop, and inform the doctor of their travel history for prompt diagnosis and treatment of potential diseases. It is essential to tell the doctor if they have seen any live poultry during travel, which may imply possible exposure to contaminated environments. This will enable the doctor to assess the possibility of avian influenza and arrange necessary investigations and appropriate treatment in a timely manner.

     While local surveillance, prevention and control measures are in place, the CHP will remain vigilant and work closely with the World Health Organization and relevant health authorities to monitor the latest developments.

     The public should maintain strict personal, hand, food and environmental hygiene and take heed of the advice below when handling poultry:
 

• Avoid touching poultry, birds, animals or their droppings;
• When buying live chickens, do not touch them and their droppings. Do not blow at their bottoms. Wash eggs with detergent if soiled with faecal matter and cook and consume the eggs immediately. Always wash hands thoroughly with soap and water after handling chickens and eggs;
• Eggs should be cooked well until the white and yolk become firm. Do not eat raw eggs or dip cooked food into any sauce with raw eggs. Poultry should be cooked thoroughly. If there is pinkish juice running from the cooked poultry or the middle part of its bone is still red, the poultry should be cooked again until fully done;
• Wash hands frequently, especially before touching the mouth, nose or eyes, before handling food or eating, and after going to the toilet, touching public installations or equipment such as escalator handrails, elevator control panels or door knobs, or when hands are dirtied by respiratory secretions after coughing or sneezing; and
• Wear a mask if fever or respiratory symptoms develop, when going to a hospital or clinic, or while taking care of patients with fever or respiratory symptoms.

     â€‹The public may visit the CHP's pages for more information: the avian influenza page, the weekly Avian Influenza Report, global statistics and affected areas of avian influenza, the Facebook Page and the YouTube Channel.

      The Government today (January 13) 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 7pm, under which people (hereafter referred to as "persons subject to compulsory testing") within the specified "restricted area" in Tuen Mun (i.e. JC Place Tower 1, 345 Castle Peak Road – Castle Peak Bay, Tuen Mun. 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 7am tomorrow (January 14).
      
     A Government spokesman said, "Under Cap. 599J, the Government can, according to the needs of infection control, make a 'restriction-testing declaration'. As a case tested preliminarily positive who has lived in the abovementioned building was detected today, and the preliminary test result involved a mutant strain, the risk of infection in the relevant area is assessed to be likely higher, so the Government decided to make a 'restriction-testing declaration' for the relevant area after the test result was found to be positive."
      
     The Government will set up temporary specimen collection stations at the "restricted area" and request persons subject to compulsory testing to undergo testing before 12am tomorrow. Arrangements will be 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 7am tomorrow. 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 to be issued today, any person who had been present at the above building for more than two hours from January 3, 2022 to January 13, 2022, 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 15, 2022. 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 case tested preliminarily positive carrying variant 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 Home Affairs Department has set up a hotline (Tel: 2835 1473) which starts operation at 7pm 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.