Hongkong Post announced today (January 25) the release of a set of special stamps and associated philatelic products on the theme of "XXIV Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022" on February 4 (Friday), with best wishes for Hong Kong athletes in the Games and continuing the community's enthusiasm for the Olympics.
 
     The XXIV Olympic Winter Games (Winter Olympics) will be held in Beijing from February 4 to 20. It is of great significance for China to host its first Winter Olympics, while Beijing, as one of the host cities, will be the first city in the world to have hosted both the Summer and Winter Games, contributing to the Olympic Movement in its unique way.
 
     The set of four special stamps features different sports in the Winter Olympics, including alpine skiing, a physically demanding sport; ice hockey, which emphasises speed and tactics; figure skating, an elegant mix of art and sport contested on ice; and short track speed skating, which requires strategy, bravery and skill. Silhouettes of the athletes are printed against a streamlined background in the colours of the Olympic rings which add a sense of dynamism to the stamps.
 
     The design of the presentation pack, inspired by the vision of the Winter Olympics as a "Joyful rendezvous upon pure ice and snow", adopts the blue colour from the Winter Olympics emblem which symbolises dreams and the future. The ice and snow in the presentation pack are accentuated in silver foiling to highlight the impression of brightness and purity, making it a valuable philatelic collection.
 
     For the convenience of purchase of the above stamp products as well as to reduce social contacts in view of the latest development of the local epidemic situation, Hongkong Post will reopen its online advanced order service from 8am on January 27 to February 3 to enable customers to place their orders for the above special stamps and associated philatelic products. Customers may place their orders on Hongkong Post's online shopping mall "ShopThruPost" (shopthrupost.hongkongpost.hk) without the need of visiting the post offices. Hongkong Post will separately notify customers of the collection date of their orders.
 
     To avoid gathering of people at the post offices and to observe social distancing, there will not be any hand-back date-stamping service for official first day covers/souvenir covers/private covers on the date of issue of this set of special stamps (February 4), but collection points will be set up at all post offices to receive covers requiring the hand-back date-stamping service. These date-stamped covers will be available for collection from February 5 and customers will be advised on the collection schedule upon acceptance of the covers. In addition, the deadline of accepting orders for servicing self-provided covers will also be extended to January 31. There will not be any change in the collection schedule for customers who have previously placed advance orders for this set of special stamps before January 21.
 
     To join hands in fighting the virus, customers are encouraged to place their purchases online either through the online advanced order service or from the day of the new stamp issue (February 4). Those who have a genuine need to visit the post offices are advised to refrain from staying after their purchases.
 
     Information about this set of special stamps and associated philatelic products is available on the Hongkong Post Stamps website (stamps.hongkongpost.hk) and the "ShopThruPost" mobile app.
 

      

The following is issued on behalf of the Legislative Council Secretariat:

     The Legislative Council (LegCo) will hold a meeting tomorrow (January 26) at 11am in the Chamber of the LegCo Complex. During the meeting, Members will debate a motion on ten-year plan for primary healthcare. The motion, moved by Ms Chan Hoi-yan, is set out in Appendix. Mr Kingsley Wong, Mr Edward Leung, Dr David Lam, Mr Tommy Cheung, Mr Duncan Chiu, Ms Judy Chan and Ms Yung Hoi-yan will move separate amendments to Ms Chan Hoi-yan's motion.
 
     Members will also ask the Government 22 questions on various policy areas, six of which require oral replies.
 
     The agenda of the above meeting can be obtained via the LegCo Website (www.legco.gov.hk). Members of the public can watch or listen to the meeting via the "Webcast" system on the LegCo Website. To observe the proceedings of the meeting at the LegCo Complex, members of the public may call 3919 3399 during office hours to reserve seats.

     â€‹The Labour Department (LD) today (January 25) announced that the Minor Employment Claims Adjudication Board, the Labour Relations Division (Kowloon West Branch Office), the Employees' Compensation Division, the Occupational Medicine Unit (Kowloon), the Operations Division (Kowloon Region) of the Occupational Safety Service and the Labour Inspection Division on the 10th floor of Cheung Sha Wan Government Offices will resume counter services from tomorrow (January 26).
 
     In view of the Government's exercise of the power under the Prevention and Control of Disease (Compulsory Testing for Certain Persons) Regulation (Cap. 599J) and the publication on January 22 in the Gazette of a compulsory testing notice that has required any person who stayed at the LD, 10/F, Cheung Sha Wan Government Offices, Sham Shui Po, for more than one hour during the specified period (i.e. January 17 to 21) to undergo a COVID-19 nucleic acid test, the LD's service counters on that floor have been suspended on January 24 and 25.
 
     The LD will continue to strictly implement various disease prevention measures, and remind all staff to stay vigilant in regard to personal hygiene at all times. It will also maintain close liaison with the Centre for Health Protection in its anti-epidemic work.
 
     For information about the LD's services, members of the public may browse the LD's website at www.labour.gov.hk or contact the department's 24-hour enquiry hotline at 2717 1771 (handled by 1823).

     â€‹The Labour Department (LD) today (January 25) announced that the Minor Employment Claims Adjudication Board, the Labour Relations Division (Kowloon West Branch Office), the Employees' Compensation Division, the Occupational Medicine Unit (Kowloon), the Operations Division (Kowloon Region) of the Occupational Safety Service and the Labour Inspection Division on the 10th floor of Cheung Sha Wan Government Offices will resume counter services from tomorrow (January 26).
 
     In view of the Government's exercise of the power under the Prevention and Control of Disease (Compulsory Testing for Certain Persons) Regulation (Cap. 599J) and the publication on January 22 in the Gazette of a compulsory testing notice that has required any person who stayed at the LD, 10/F, Cheung Sha Wan Government Offices, Sham Shui Po, for more than one hour during the specified period (i.e. January 17 to 21) to undergo a COVID-19 nucleic acid test, the LD's service counters on that floor have been suspended on January 24 and 25.
 
     The LD will continue to strictly implement various disease prevention measures, and remind all staff to stay vigilant in regard to personal hygiene at all times. It will also maintain close liaison with the Centre for Health Protection in its anti-epidemic work.
 
     For information about the LD's services, members of the public may browse the LD's website at www.labour.gov.hk or contact the department's 24-hour enquiry hotline at 2717 1771 (handled by 1823).

     The Government exercised the power under the Prevention and Control of Disease (Compulsory Testing for Certain Persons) Regulation (Cap. 599J) on January 21 to make a "restriction-testing declaration" effective from 6pm that day, under which people (hereafter referred to as "persons subject to compulsory testing") within the specified "restricted area" in Kwai Chung (i.e. Yat Kwai House, Kwai Chung Estate; see Annex) are required to stay in their premises and undergo compulsory testing. The Government today (January 25) decided to extend the period of operation and aims at finishing the exercise at about 7am on January 28. Persons subject to compulsory testing are required to stay in their premises and undergo seven tests under the designated arrangement (including those conducted in the past few days under the declaration), until all such persons identified in the "restricted area" have undergone testing and the test results are mostly ascertained, and upon the agreement of the Secretary for Food and Health having regard to all the circumstances and the public interest of Hong Kong.
     
     A Government spokesman said, "Preliminary positive cases were identified at Yat Kwai House in Kwai Chung Estate through tests conducted since January 21. At least 180 confirmed cases or preliminary positive cases have been found since then, which is worrying. In view of the significant risk of infection at Yat Kwai House in Kwai Chung Estate, we consider it necessary to undertake determined action by extending the 'restriction-testing declaration' operation to January 28 to prevent the virus from further spreading."
      
     The Government has set up temporary specimen collection stations at the "restricted area" and requested persons subject to testing to undergo testing as designated between January 21 and January 27. Arrangements have been made for persons subject to testing to undergo nucleic acid tests at specimen collection stations where dedicated staff will collect samples through combined nasal and throat swabs. Persons subject to 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. As a mutant strain is involved, and having considered the relevant infection risks, for prudence's sake, vaccinated persons and persons who have recently been tested are also required to undergo testing.
      
     The Government spokesman said, "We understand that this exercise will cause inconvenience for the public. We sincerely appeal for the co-operation of residents of Yat Kwai House (including those who are at work and not currently at the premises) to return to their household and to comply with the testing arrangement. Those who have visited Yat Kwai House in the past two weeks for more than two hours should undergo testing on January 27 in accordance with the compulsory testing notice issued earlier. The Government will make a public announcement when the declaration expires officially."
      
     In order to maintain public and emergency services within the "restricted area", the Government and relevant working staff (such as healthcare officers and other officers of the Hospital Authority, testing service providers engaged by the Government and cleaning service providers) are allowed to enter and leave the "restricted area" on condition that personal information and contact details are given as well as certain infection control instructions are followed (including undergoing testing before leaving the "restricted area" without the need to wait for the test results). 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 for individuals who are not residents in the area when the declaration takes effect, government officers may exercise discretion and allow those persons to leave the area after considering the individual circumstances. Such persons must have followed the instructions to undergo testing and must leave their personal information for contact purposes.

     The Housing Department has set up hotlines (Tel: 2427 9006, 2751 4421, 2751 4424 and 2751 4428) 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 the "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.