The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) today (January 7) provided information on three cases tested preliminarily positive for SARS-CoV-2 virus and "restriction-testing declaration" for relevant residences have been made.

     The first case involves a 53-year-old female patient living in Block B, The Crescent, 13 Ho Man Tin Hill Road, Ho Man Tin with no recent travel history. She works at Radio Television Hong Kong. She attended a gathering at Reserva Ibérica Tapas Bar & Restaurant, Shop 10, 1/F, Causeway Centre, 28 Harbour Road, Wan Chai in the evening on January 3. Investigation of the CHP revealed that case 12838 also attended the gathering at about 9.30pm on the same day. The patient is asymptomatic and her specimen collected on January 6 tested preliminarily positive, with a Ct value of 35/36. She received three doses of COVID-19 vaccination (CoronaVac) on March 20, April 24 and December 18, 2021 in Hong Kong.

     The second case involves a 39-year-old female patient living in Yuk Sing Building, 1-9 Yuk Sau Street, Happy Valley who is a foreign domestic helper with no recent travel history. She attended Bethel Fellowship Limited, Unit 1409-1411, 14/F, Block A, Sea View Estate, 2 Watson Road, North Point on January 1 and 2, during which case 12805 was also present. She developed cough and runny nose on January 6 and went to a community testing centre for test on the same day. Her test result subsequently tested preliminarily positive. She received two doses of COVID-19 vaccination (Comirnaty) on April 19 and May 12, 2021 in Hong Kong.

     The third case involves a 58-year-old female patient living in Lee Shun Building, 157-159 Lockhart Road, Wan Chai. She is a tally worker and has no recent travel history. She developed sore throat and headache on January 6 and attended Ruttonjee Hospital for treatment on January 7. Her test result tested preliminarily positive on the same day. She has not received COVID-19 vaccination and last went to work on January 6. The CHP has so far not found any close contacts between the case and other recent cases tested positive, and is now investigating the places where the patient visited during incubation period in order to ascertain the infection source and to terminate the silent transmission chains in the community.

     The Government has made "restriction-testing declaration" tonight for the buildings where the patients resided (Block B, The Crescent, 13 Ho Man Tin Hill Road, Ho Man Tin; Yuk Sing Building, 1-9 Yuk Sau Street, Happy Valley and Lee Shun Building, 157-159 Lockhart Road, Wan Chai) and persons who resided or worked at the buildings will be subject to increased compulsory testing frequency. The places where they had visited during the incubation periods 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). ​​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 Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Christopher Hui, today (January 7), said, "I and the Under Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Joseph Chan, briefly stayed at a birthday gathering on January 3 evening. There were participants of the gathering tested or tested preliminarily positive for SARS-CoV-2 virus involving mutant strains, we therefore will proceed to undergo quarantine at the Penny's Bay Quarantine Centre in accordance with the arrangement of the Centre for Health Protection."

      "Hong Kong is currently facing severe epidemic situation. I and Joseph apologise to the community for the additional burden to the anti-epidemic work caused by the incident. We will attach utmost importance to fighting virus and step up vigilance in the future."

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     The spokesman for Tuen Mun Hospital (TMH) made the following announcement today (January 7) regarding a preliminarily tested positive paediatric patient leaving the isolation cubicle unsupervised:

     A 4-year-old girl, isolated in Penny's Bay Quarantine Centre, was sent to the Accident and Emergency Department (AED) of TMH by ambulance for running nose on January 5 evening. The girl was then transferred to a paediatric ward for treatment under isolation. She tested preliminarily positive for COVID-19 today.

     The girl was arranged to stay on a child cot with cot side rail up and provided with a call bell to call for assistance from staff.

     At around 8pm last night (January 6), the girl walked out of the isolation cubicle and stood in the corridor without wearing a mask. A nurse noticed and assisted her to return to the cubicle immediately.

     TMH conducted an investigation and confirmed that a nurse and a patient care assistant only wore N95 respirator and surgical mask respectively without face shields when getting in contact with the girl. The two staff members were identified as close contact and 21-day-quarantine will be arranged after TMH's discussion with the Centre for Health Protection (CHP).

     The girl was transferred to the Hospital Authority Infectious Disease Centre located in Princess Margaret Hospital for isolation and treatment this morning with stable condition.

     Thorough disinfection has been conducted in the area concerned in TMH. The hospital will continue to closely monitor the health condition of staff members and communicate with the CHP on the latest situation.

     The Government today (January 7) 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 9pm, under which people (hereafter referred to as "persons subject to compulsory testing") within the specified "restricted area" in Causeway Bay (i.e. Mayland Court, 1-7 Shelter Street, Causeway Bay, excluding the shops at G/F of Mayland Court. 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 8).

     A Government spokesman said, "The Government discovered that the sewage discharged from the above building was tested positive in the sewage testing conducted earlier in the area. It is suspected that there are asymptomatic patients in the building. After risk assessment, we think it is necessary to issue a restriction-testing declaration and compulsory testing notice for the 'restricted area' to confirm all persons in the 'restricted area' have undergone compulsory testing, so as to break the transmission chain in the district and dispel the worries of residents in the district."

     The Government will arrange dedicated staff to collect samples through combined nasal and throat swabs at the "restricted area" and request persons subject to compulsory testing to undergo testing before 1am tomorrow. 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 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.

     Persons in the "restricted area" who have undergone testing from January 5, 2022 to January 7, 2022, and are able to provide the SMS notification through a mobile phone or related certification containing the test results, are not required to take the test again. However, they are required to stay in their premises until all such persons identified in the area have undergone testing and the test results are mostly ascertained. Also, 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 15, 2021 to January 7, 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 9, 2022. As a mutant strain is involved, for prudence's sake, vaccinated persons are also required to undergo testing.

     The Home Affairs Department has set up a hotline (Tel: 2835 1473) which starts operation at 9pm 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 following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     As at 9am today (January 7), no patient who had tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus was discharged from hospital in the last 24 hours. So far, a total of 12 235 patients have been discharged.

     A total of 348 patients who had tested positive are currently hospitalised in the North Lantau Hospital Hong Kong Infection Control Centre, the Hospital Authority (HA) Infectious Disease Centre and the Community Treatment Facility at AsiaWorld-Expo. Among those patients, one is in serious condition (case number: 12548) while the remainder are in stable condition.

     The HA will maintain close contact with the Centre for Health Protection to monitor the latest developments and to inform the public and healthcare workers on the latest information in a timely manner.