​The Government yesterday (January 1) exercised the power under the Prevention and Control of Disease (Compulsory Testing for Certain Persons) Regulation (Cap. 599J) to make a "restriction-testing declaration" … read more
The Government exercises the power under the Prevention and Control of Disease (Compulsory Testing for Certain Persons) Regulation (Cap. 599J) and publishes in the Gazette a compulsory testing notice, which requires any person who had been present at 13 specified premises during the specified period (persons subject to compulsory testing) to undergo a COVID-19 nucleic acid test.
In view of two imported cases tested preliminarily positive and had stayed in Hong Kong during the incubation period and a case tested positive that related to Moon Palace at Festival Walk, 13 specified premises visited by the cases are included in the compulsory testing notice. The Government strongly reminds members of the public to strictly follow the compulsory testing requirements and undergo the multiple tests on time as required. The above compulsory testing requirement applies to those who have completed a COVID-19 vaccination course as well. They are advised to closely monitor their health conditions. They should seek medical attention and undergo testing even if they have only mild symptoms.
Persons subject to compulsory testing in accordance with a compulsory testing notice must go to any of the mobile specimen collection stations, community testing centres (CTCs) or recognised local medical testing institutions to undergo professional swab sampling in fulfilling the requirements for compulsory testing. Young children may continue to undergo the test using a stool specimen.
If Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No. 3 or above, the Red or Black Rainstorm Warning Signal or the post-super typhoon “extreme conditions” announcement by the Government is in force at any time during the period for undergoing the compulsory testing, the period for undergoing the compulsory testing will be further extended for one day.
The Comirnaty and CoronaVac vaccines are highly effective in preventing severe cases and deaths from COVID-19. They can provide protection to those vaccinated to prevent serious complications and even death after infection. The Government appeals to persons who are not yet vaccinated, especially senior citizens, chronic patients and other immunocompromised persons who face a higher chance of death after COVID-19 infection, to get vaccinated as soon as possible for better self-protection before the fifth wave strikes in Hong Kong.
Details of the compulsory testing notice are in Annex 1.
Subsequent to the announcement by the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) on the updated quarantine arrangements of local COVID-19 cases with a mutant strain, persons who resided or worked within the same building as the residence of relevant cases will be subject to compulsory testing on specified dates in accordance with the announcement by the Department of Health (DH). They will also be required to undergo self-monitoring until the 21st day (see the details of the buildings and dates of testing at www.coronavirus.gov.hk/pdf/CTN_Specified_premises_and_Dates_of_Testing.pdf). For prudence’s sake, the above compulsory testing requirement applies to those who have completed a COVID-19 vaccination course as well.
In accordance with the compulsory testing notice issued earlier, all household members of close contacts are required to undergo compulsory testing. Any person who had lived with a person placed under quarantine pursuant to section 22 of the Prevention and Control of Disease Regulation (Cap. 599A) (person under quarantine) in the same residential unit on the date of commencement of quarantine or during the 14 days before that day, and who becomes aware of the quarantine of the person under quarantine when the relevant quarantine has not yet been completed, has to undergo testing within two days of him or her becoming aware that the person under quarantine has been placed under quarantine and report to the Government the result of the test by phone (6275 6901), fax (2530 5872) or email (ct@csb.gov.hk) within three days of undergoing the test. For prudence’s sake, the above compulsory testing requirement applies to those who have completed a COVID-19 vaccination course as well.
CTCs provide testing services for the public, including free service for persons subject to compulsory testing. Booking and walk-in services are available. Members of the public only need to provide simple personal information on the 24-hour booking system (www.communitytest.gov.hk/en). The system shows the booking status of the centres for the coming two weeks to facilitate the public’s planning and selection of a suitable testing centre and a time slot for testing. The testing centres will accord priority to serve individuals with advance bookings. As of 6pm on January 1, there were around 32 000 booking places available for today (January 2) at the CTCs, and around 92 per cent availability for booking places for the coming seven days. Members of the public may call the testing centres for enquiries on the availability of bookings or walk-in quotas before visiting the centres.
The Government will set up or re-open mobile specimen collection stations at the following locations today for persons subject to compulsory testing:
The Government has all along been providing convenient testing services to the public through various channels, including a free testing service, and encouraging the public to make good use of various means such as community testing centres (CTCs) and mobile specimen collection stations located in various districts for testing, with a view to achieving “early identification, early isolation and early treatment”, and cutting transmission chains in the community as early as possible.
In view of the few recent confirmed/suspected Omicron cases that had visited various places in the community during their incubation period, the Government has stepped up the relevant compulsory testing arrangement in order to minimise the transmission of Omicron variant in the community. The relevant persons are required to undergo more frequent testing during the early stage after the relevant case(s) visited the concerned places, with a view to locating the persons possibly infected. Persons who had visited such places must undergo compulsory testing before the relevant testing deadlines and pay close attention to the relevant press release(s) to be issued by the Government on the additional testing(s) required.
Persons subject to compulsory testing and those received the “LeaveHomeSafe” COVID-19 exposure notification or SMS notification from the Centre for Health Protection reminding them to undergo testing as soon as possible may conduct free testing at CTCs or mobile specimen collection stations (if the service scope is applicable).
Free testing service will be provided to persons subject to compulsory testing at CTCs and mobile specimen collection stations located at some 30 places in various districts tomorrow (January 2). The number of booking places available for appointments at CTCs has been increased to around 39 000 per day, and more manpower has been deployed to serve the public.
As of 6pm today (January 1), there are around 32 000 booking places available for tomorrow at the CTCs, and the average appointment rate of CTCs in the territory for the next two days is less than 20 per cent. The testing capacity should be sufficient to meet the demand. The Government appeals to members of the public to utilise the 24-hour booking system (www.communitytest.gov.hk/en). The system shows the booking status of the centres for the coming two weeks to facilitate the public’s planning and selection of a suitable testing centre and a time slot for testing with a view to minimising their waiting time at CTCs. The testing centres will accord priority to serve individuals with advance bookings.
In addition to the 19 CTCs, a number of mobile specimen collection stations in various districts are in operation to provide a free testing service to the public. The locations, opening dates/hours and service scope are at Annex and will be updated at the website www.communitytest.gov.hk/en/station/.
The Government in particular reminds members of the public undergoing compulsory testing in Hong Kong Island to make good use of the following CTCs/mobile specimen collection stations for free testing:
The Government today (January 1) 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 10.30pm, under which people (hereafter referred to as “persons subject to compulsory testing”) within the specified “restricted area” in Ma On Shan (i.e. Block 6, Villa Athena, 600 Sai Sha Road, Ma On Shan. 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 8am tomorrow (January 2).
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 2.30am 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 8am 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 December 30, 2021 to January 1, 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 12, 2021 to January 1, 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 3, 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 10.30pm 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. read more
The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health today (January 1) provides updates on the epidemiological investigation and contact tracing of cases involving Moon Palace at Festival Walk.
Latest investigations revealed that a female aged 50 who patronised the restaurant from around 12 noon to 2pm on December 27 tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 virus today, carrying the N501Y and T478K mutant strains. She received two doses of COVID-19 vaccination (Comirnaty) on May 24 and June 14 in Hong Kong. She developed cough and runny nose on December 30 and was arranged to quarantine at the Penny’s Bay Quarantine Centre (PBQC) yesterday (December 31).
The patient is a housewife who resided at Block 6, Villa Athena, 600 Sai Sha Road, Ma On Shan. Due to the presence of a mutant strain with higher transmissibility and risk of infection, the Government has adopted a prudent measure and will make a “restriction-testing declaration” tonight for the building where the patient resided. The places where she had visited during the infectious 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 patient’s household members and the people together with whom she had lunch at Moon Palace at the above-mentioned time are regarded as close contacts and have been arranged to undergo quarantine at PBQC.
The CHP strongly appeals to people who had meals at Moon Palace from 1pm to 3pm on December 27 to call the CHP’s hotlines at 2125 1111 or 2125 1122 as soon as possible to facilitate the CHP’s epidemiological investigations and contact tracing.
Epidemiological investigations and contact tracing of the case will continue.
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 strain from spreading in the local community.”
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). read more