Police today (January 6) appealed to the public for information on a man who went missing in Sau Mau Ping.

     Nip Kai-yuen, aged 87, went missing after he left his residence at Shun On Estate yesterday morning (January 5). His family made a report to Police on the same day.
         
     He is about 1.65 metres tall, 45 kilograms in weight and of thin build. He has a long face with yellow complexion and short black hair. He was last seen wearing a black jacket, black trousers, black shoes, a blue and white cap and carrying a black shoulder bag.
          
     Anyone who knows the whereabouts of the missing man or may have seen him is urged to contact the Regional Missing Person Unit of Kowloon East on 3661 0316 or 9886 0060 or email to rmpu-ke-2@police.gov.hk, or contact any police station.
     
 

  

     â€‹Hong Kong Customs on January 3 and today (January 6) seized a total of about 19 million suspected illicit cigarettes with an estimated market value of about $52 million and a duty potential of about $36 million at the Kwai Chung Customhouse Cargo Examination Compound.

     Through intelligence analysis, Customs officers on January 3 selected for inspection a 20-foot seaborne container, declared as carrying plastic products, arriving in Hong Kong from Ningbo, the Mainland. Upon inspection, Customs officers seized about 4 million suspected illicit cigarettes inside the container.

     Today, Customs officers also selected for inspection through intelligence analysis a 20-foot seaborne container, declared as carrying mobile phone accessories, arriving in Hong Kong from Ningbo, the Mainland, and a 40-foot seaborne transshipment container, declared as carrying household products, arriving from Ningbo, the Mainland, en route to Malaysia via Hong Kong. Upon inspection, Customs officers seized about 15 million suspected illicit cigarettes inside the two containers.

     Investigations of the above-mentioned cases are ongoing.

     Customs has all along striven to combat different kinds of illicit cigarette smuggling activities and will continue its risk assessment and intelligence analysis for stepping up enforcement before the Lunar New Year.

     Smuggling is a serious offence. Under the Import and Export Ordinance, any person found guilty of importing or exporting unmanifested cargo is liable to a maximum fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years.

     Members of the public may report any suspected illicit cigarette activities to Customs' 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk).

      

     A spokesman for the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) said today (January 6) that the Government announced yesterday (January 5) it will tighten social distancing measures in view of the development of the COVID-19 epidemic situation in Hong Kong. The latest specifications and directions to be issued by the Secretary for Food and Health in relation to catering business and scheduled premises under the Prevention and Control of Disease (Requirements and Directions) (Business and Premises) Regulation (Cap. 599F) will be effective from tomorrow (January 7) for a period of 14 days to January 20. The spokesman appealed to operators of catering business and scheduled premises to observe the relevant arrangements and strictly comply with various requirements and directions under the Prevention and Control of Disease (Requirements and Directions) (Business and Premises) Regulation (Cap. 599F) at all times. Customers patronising catering premises are also required to comply with the various anti-epidemic regulations and restrictions, including the requirements on group gatherings and wearing of masks.
 
     For catering business, from 6pm to 4.59am of the subsequent day, a person responsible for carrying on a catering business must cease selling or supplying food or drink for consumption on the premises of the business, and close any premises, or part of the premises (whichever is applicable), on which food or drink is sold or supplied by the business for consumption on the premises. The premises concerned may still sell or supply food and/or drink for takeaway services and deliveries. A person responsible for carrying on a catering business is also required to put up a notice at the entrance to the catering premises to remind customers that food or drink should not be consumed in areas adjacent to the catering premises. The maximum number of persons per table for catering premises under Types B, C and D Modes of Operation will be reduced to two, four and six respectively, whereas the maximum number of customers per premises and per banquet will remain unchanged.
 
     In addition, under the directions, no live performance and dancing activity will be allowed for catering business. Karaoke or mahjong-tin kau activity should also be suspended therein. Other requirements and restrictions on catering premises will remain in force, including that all customers, when they are away from the table, must not consume food or drink and must wear a mask; all customers must scan the "LeaveHomeSafe" (LHS) venue QR code using the LHS mobile application on their mobile phones/other mobile devices before entering the premises (excluding persons who only order takeaway); tables must be arranged in a way to ensure there is a distance of at least 1.5 metres or some form of partition which could serve as an effective buffer between one table and another table; body temperature screening must be conducted before the person is allowed to enter the catering premises; and hand sanitisers must be provided.
 
     Bars or pubs must be closed. Scheduled premises, including bathhouses, places of public entertainment, clubs or nightclubs, karaoke establishments and swimming pools, must suspend operation.
 
     The spokesman said, "If a person responsible for carrying on a catering business or a scheduled premises contravenes the regulation under Cap. 599F, he or she is liable to being prosecuted and, upon conviction, to a maximum fine of $50,000 and imprisonment for six months."
 
     For customers in breach of the requirement on the maximum number of persons per table within catering premises, such group gathering commits an offence under the Prevention and Control of Disease (Prohibition on Group Gathering) Regulation (Cap. 599G) section 3(1)(b) and they are liable to a fixed penalty of $5,000 for contravening Cap. 599G.
 
     Moreover, the spokesman stressed that as stipulated in section 5A(4) of the Prevention and Control of Disease (Wearing of Mask) Regulation (Cap. 599I), eating or drinking at catering premises not in compliance with the requirements under Cap. 599F is not regarded as a reasonable excuse for not wearing a mask. Therefore, within catering premises, for customers not wearing a mask when they are not eating or drinking at a table therein or when they are not eating or drinking, they are liable to a fixed penalty of $5,000 for contravening section 5A(1) of Cap. 599I.
 
     The spokesman said the FEHD will issue letters to operators of premises holding licenses issued by the department (including catering business and the above-mentioned scheduled premises), reminding them to strictly comply with the various anti-epidemic regulations and restrictions. In addition, the FEHD will step up inspections and law enforcement, and conduct joint operations with the Police as needed, to take stringent enforcement action against offenders.
 
     To tackle the public health threat posed by the mutant strains, the spokesman again reminded operators of catering businesses and scheduled premises to remain vigilant and continue to comply with the relevant regulations on prevention and control of disease in a concerted and persistent manner, with a view to keeping their staff, customers and the public safe. Members of the public also have to comply with the related regulations and directions on group gatherings and mask wearing at catering premises.

     The Government today (January 6) 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 Ap Lei Chau (i.e. Pik On House (Block C), Yue On Court, Ap Lei Chau. 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 7).

     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 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.

     Persons in the "restricted area" who have undergone testing from January 4, 2022 to January 6, 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 30, 2021 to January 6, 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 8, 2022. As a mutant strain is involved, for prudence's sake, vaccinated persons 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 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.

     The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced today (January 6) that in view of the latest situation of COVID-19, the Chamber Opera in Cantonese "Kungfood" scheduled for tomorrow (January 7) to January 9 at the Theatre of Hong Kong City Hall has been cancelled.
 
     Details of the refund arrangements will be announced in due course. Ticket holders are advised to keep their original intact tickets (with stubs) for refunds, and check the latest announcements at the programme website (www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/CulturalService/Programme/en/music/programs_1235.html).  
    
     For enquiries, please call 2268 7321 during office hours, or visit https://www.lcsd.gov.hk/CP.