Government enforces “restriction-testing declaration” and compulsory testing notice in respect of specified “restricted area” in North Point (with photo)

     The Government yesterday (January 11) 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 North Point (i.e. Maple Gardens Phase III, 51 Kin Wah Street, North Point) 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 December 30, 2021 to January 11, 2022 to undergo compulsory testing on or before January 13, 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 6.30am  today (January 12) 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 6.30am today, persons in the "restricted area" in North Point 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 set up temporary specimen collection stations in the "restricted area" yesterday and requested persons subject to compulsory testing to collect combined nasal and throat swab samples at the stations to undergo a COVID-19 virus test before 12am today. As at 12am today, around 75 residents had undergone testing. No cases tested positive were found.

     Moreover, the Government also assigned staff to visit around 70 households, among which around 30 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.

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Government enforces “restriction-testing declaration” and compulsory testing notice in respect of specified “restricted area” in North Point (with photo)

     The Government yesterday (January 11) 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 North Point (i.e. Maple Gardens Phase III, 51 Kin Wah Street, North Point) 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 December 30, 2021 to January 11, 2022 to undergo compulsory testing on or before January 13, 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 6.30am  today (January 12) 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 6.30am today, persons in the "restricted area" in North Point 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 set up temporary specimen collection stations in the "restricted area" yesterday and requested persons subject to compulsory testing to collect combined nasal and throat swab samples at the stations to undergo a COVID-19 virus test before 12am today. As at 12am today, around 75 residents had undergone testing. No cases tested positive were found.

     Moreover, the Government also assigned staff to visit around 70 households, among which around 30 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.

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Ten service points available in Tuen Mun tomorrow to facilitate voluntary testing

     In view of suspected silent transmission chains in Tuen Mun district, the Government urges residents and those working in Tuen Mun who are exposed to infection risks to undergo testing as soon as possible. The Government has already extended the opening hours of the community testing centre (CTC) at Siu Lun Community Hall in Tuen Mun to 10pm starting from today (January 11). Eight additional mobile specimen collection stations will also be set up in the district tomorrow (January 12) to enhance testing service there.
 
     In the coming few days, a total of ten service points will be available in Tuen Mun district to provide free testing service for all local residents and those who work there, no matter whether they are subject to compulsory testing or not. Details of the service points for testing are as follows:
 
CTC
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  • Siu Lun Community Hall in Tuen Mun (January 12 to 18: 8am to 10pm)

 
Mobile specimen collection stations
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January 12 to 14 (10am to 8pm)

  • Tsing Tin Playground (January 12: 2pm to 9pm)
  • Tai Hing Community Hall
  • San Wo Lane Playground
  • Butterfly Bay Community Centre
  • Lung Yat Community Hall

 
January 12 to 18 (10am to 8pm)

  • Yau Oi Sports Centre
  • Yau Oi Estate Football Field

 
January 12 to 21 (10am to 8pm)

  • Covered playground, G/F, On Ting/Yau Oi Community Centre
  • Kin Sang Community Hall

 
     A spokesman for the Food and Health Bureau said, "The Government is very concerned about the suspected transmissions in Tuen Mun district and has therefore arranged ten service points for testing, which is a record high in one single district, to facilitate testing by local residents and those who work there on a voluntary basis. The Government will review the need to further extend opening dates and hours of the newly added specimen collection stations with regard to actual usage and demand."
 
     The Government urges all individuals who are in doubt about their own health conditions, or individuals with infection risks (such as individuals who visited places with epidemic outbreaks or had contact with cases tested positive), to undergo testing promptly for early identification of infected persons to reduce the transmission risks of COVID-19.




CHP reminds relevant residents to comply with “restriction-testing declaration” operation on case tested preliminarily positive for SARS-CoV-2 virus

     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) today (January 11) reminded members of the public that a "restriction-testing declaration" (RTD) has been made for the residence of one of the cases tested preliminarily positive for SARS-CoV-2 virus the CHP is following. The CHP strongly reminds relevant residents that they must comply with the RTD operation. 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 RTD is an offence and the offender may be liable to a fine of level 4 ($25,000) and imprisonment for six months.

     The case involves a 51-year-old female patient living in Block 3, Po Tin Estate, Tuen Mun. She works as a security guard at the Penny's Bay Quarantine Centre. According to her job nature, she has to undergo frequent regular COVID-19 testing and she last tested negative on January 8. She developed fever on January 10 and tested preliminarily positive on the same day with a Ct value of 25/26. She received two doses of COVID-19 vaccination (CoronVac) in Hong Kong on March 11 and April 8, 2021.

     The CHP is now investigating the places where the patient visited during incubation period and will carry out whole genome sequencing analysis in order to ascertain the infection source and to terminate the silent transmission chains in the community. The CHP also urges all individuals who are in doubt about their own health condition, or individuals with exposure to infection risk, to undergo testing promptly for early identification of infected persons.
 
     The Government has made a "restriction-testing declaration" tonight for the building where the patient resided (Block 3, Po Tin Estate, 99 Ming Kum Road, Tuen Mun) and persons who resided or worked at the building will be subject to increased compulsory testing frequency. The places where she had visited during the incubation period will also be included in a compulsory testing notice. Specified persons who were present at the relevant venues at specified periods need to undergo compulsory testing on the specified date.

     The spokesman for the CHP said, "The Government has remained vigilant and has been closely monitoring the latest scientific data on mutant strains as well as the epidemic situation of various places. The most stringent anti-epidemic measures will be implemented to prevent the mutant strains from spreading in the local community."

     â€‹At the moment, the adverse impact on the epidemic situation caused by the newly emerged mutant strains is not fully known yet, but vaccination is still essential to prevent severe cases and deaths from COVID-19 infection. The Government has launched the COVID-19 Vaccination Programme. Members of the public are encouraged to get vaccinated. Details of the programme can be found at the designated website (www.covidvaccine.gov.hk).




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

     The Government today (January 11) 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 3, Po Tin Estate, 99 Ming Kum Road, Tuen Mun, New Territories, Hong Kong. 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 12).
          
     A Government spokesman said, "Under Cap. 599J, the Government can, according to the needs of infection control, make a 'restriction-testing declaration'. As a preliminary tested positive case who has lived in the abovementioned building detected today may involve 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 has set up temporary specimen collection stations at the "restricted area" and request persons subject to compulsory testing to undergo testing before 1am tomorrow. 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 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 December 29, 2021 to January 11, 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 13, 2022. As a mutant strain may be 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 tested positive case carrying variants 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: 2462 2430) which will start operation at 7.30 pm 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.