Author Archives: hksar gov

     The Government yesterday (January 8) 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 Tung Chung (i.e. Shun Yat House, Yat Tung (II) Estate, 8 Yat Tung Road, Tung Chung) 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” had undergone testing and the test results were 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 19, 2021 to January 8, 2022, to undergo compulsory testing on or before January 10, 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 7am today (January 9) 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 10am today.
      
     In this exercise, the Housing Department, the Hong Kong Police Force, the Home Affairs Department, the Social Welfare Department and the Tobacco and Alcohol Control Office of the Department of Health mobilised around 290 staff to carry out 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, instant 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 Housing Department 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 10am. Test records of around 284 persons subject to compulsory testing were checked. No persons were found to have not undergone compulsory testing. 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 expects that the 13 households who have not answered the door will 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.

  

     Two co-owners were sentenced to 14 days’ imprisonment suspended for 24 months at Kowloon City Magistrates’ Courts last month for failing to comply with a removal order issued under the Buildings Ordinance (BO) (Cap. 123).

     The order involved an unauthorised flat roof structure of about 80 square metres and a metal fence erected on an approved canopy at a composite building on Pau Chung Street, To Kwa Wan. As the unauthorised building works (UBWs) were carried out without prior approval and consent from the Buildings Department (BD), a removal order was served on the owners under section 24(1) of the BO.

     Failing to comply with the removal order, the two owners were prosecuted by the BD in 2016 and were fined about $10,000 in total upon conviction at the Kowloon City Magistrates’ Courts. However, the owners persisted in not complying with the removal order and the BD instigated prosecution against the owners for the second time. The two owners were convicted again and sentenced to 14 days’ imprisonment suspended for 24 months on December 29, 2021.

     A spokesman for the BD said today (January 9), “UBWs may adversely affect the structural and fire safety of a building, leading to serious consequences. Owners must comply with the removal orders without delay. The BD will continue to take enforcement action against owners who have failed to comply with the removal orders (including instigation of prosecution) so as to ensure building safety.”

     Failure to comply with a removal order without reasonable excuse is a serious offence under the BO. The maximum penalty upon conviction is one year’s imprisonment and a fine of $200,000, and a further fine of $20,000 for each day that the offence continues. read more

The following is issued on behalf of the Liquor Licensing Board:
 
     The Liquor Licensing Board (LLB) will meet on Tuesday (January 11) to consider an application for new issue of a liquor licence.
 
     The application is:
 
Hong Kong:
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THE JOY LOX CLUB in Kennedy Town
 
     The board will also consider revocation of the liquor licence of “Bun Kee Restaurant” in Hung Hom.
 
     The meeting will be held at 9.45am in the conference room, Room 102, 1/F, 258 Queen’s Road East, Wan Chai. In response to the latest developments of COVID-19, to avoid the gathering of people in an enclosed environment and to safeguard the health of all participants, public seats will not be available for all open hearings of the LLB in the interim. read more

     The Government yesterday (January 8) 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 Causeway Bay (i.e. Tower 1, Jupiter Terrace, 18 Jupiter Street, Causeway Bay) 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 27, 2021 to January 8, 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 10, 2022. The Government announced the completion of the compulsory testing exercise at around 6.45am today (January 9) 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 9am today.

     In this exercise, the Home Affairs Department (HAD) (including the Wan Chai District Office), the Hong Kong Police Force, the Department of Health, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, and the Auxiliary Medical Service mobilised around 130 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, biscuits, tomato soup 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 6.45am 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 9am. Test records of around 20 persons subject to compulsory testing were checked. Nobody was found to have not undergone compulsory testing. 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 10 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.  read more

     The Government yesterday (January 8) 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. Block B, Flora Garden, 50 Cloud View Road, North Point) 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 27, 2021 to January 8, 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 10, 2022. The Government announced the completion of the compulsory testing exercise at around 6.30am today (January 9) 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 9am today.
 
     In this exercise, the Home Affairs Department (HAD) (including the Eastern District Office), the Hong Kong Police Force, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, and the Auxiliary Medical Service mobilised around 140 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, instant 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 6.30am 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 9am. Test records of around 10 persons subject to compulsory testing were checked. Nobody was found to have not undergone compulsory testing.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 10 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.  read more