Author Archives: hksar gov

     A spokesman for the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) said today (January 1) that the FEHD continued to step up its inspections and conduct joint operations with the Police, so as to take stringent enforcement actions against operators, staff and customers of catering businesses and certain scheduled premises in defiance of the anti-epidemic regulations during festive occasions including New Year’s Eve and New Year holidays. The spokesman again reminded parties concerned to remain vigilant and strictly comply with the requirements and directions under the Prevention and Control of Disease (Requirements and Directions) (Business and Premises) Regulation (Cap. 599F) (the Regulation). The FEHD continues to conduct enforcement operations proactively, and urges premises operators not to defy the law.

     In the operations yesterday (December 31) and today, the FEHD and the Police inspected a total of 37 catering premises during the joint operations; and the FEHD on its own inspected a total of 629 catering premises and 173 scheduled premises. The FEHD initiated procedures on prosecution against 16 operators of catering premises suspected of breaching the requirements under the directions. Among the requirements suspected to be breached, six related to mask-wearing, five related to the distance or partition between tables, two related to display of notice concerning mode of operation, one related to display of notice concerning air change or air purifiers, one related to ensuring scanning “LeaveHomeSafe” venue QR code by customers, and one related to both display of notice concerning mode of operation and ensuring scanning “LeaveHomeSafe” venue QR code by customers. The FEHD also required these premises to take corresponding measures for reducing the risk of transmission. They had to, on the subsequent day of being identified the irregularities by the enforcement officers, cease selling or supplying food or drink for consumption on the premises from 6pm to 4.59am of the subsequent day, and allow no more than two persons to be seated together at one table, ranging from three, seven to 14 days. In addition, the FEHD also issued fixed penalty tickets to three customers suspected to breach the requirement of scanning “LeaveHomeSafe” venue QR code. During the joint operations, the Police also took enforcement actions, including issuing fixed penalty notices.

     If a person responsible for carrying on a catering business contravenes the Regulation, he or she is liable to being prosecuted and, upon conviction, to a maximum fine of $50,000 and imprisonment for six months. Persons who are present at any premises of a catering business must comply with directions applicable to them. Non-compliance with the relevant directions would be an offence and offenders are subject to a maximum fine of $10,000. The liability may be discharged by paying a fixed penalty of $5,000. In addition, for customers in breach of the requirement on the maximum number of persons per table within catering premises, they are liable to a fixed penalty of $5,000 for violating Cap. 599G. For customers not wearing a mask when they are eating or drinking not at a table therein or they are not eating or drinking, they are liable to a fixed penalty of $5,000 for contravening the Prevention and Control of Disease (Wearing of Mask) Regulation (Cap. 599I).

     The spokesman stressed that the FEHD will continue to step up law enforcement on catering premises and take stringent enforcement actions against offenders. To minimise the risk of transmission of COVID-19, the spokesman strongly appealed to operators and staff members of all premises as well as members of the public to continue to comply with the relevant regulations on prevention and control of disease and observe all prevailing social distancing measures in a persistent manner during and after the New Year Holidays and fight the virus together. read more

     â€‹The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) today (January 1) said that it is investigating an imported case tested preliminarily positive for SARS-CoV-2 virus involving mutant strain.

     The case involves a 28-year-old female patient who is a local aircrew member living at Nam Tin Building, King’s Road in North Point. She tested negative in Hong Kong on December 22 and left Hong Kong on December 24 for the United States (US) and returned to Hong Kong on December 27 by flight CX885 from the US. Her specimen collected upon arrival in the Temporary Specimen Collection Centre at Hong Kong International Airport tested negative.

     The patient underwent medical surveillance and regular compulsory testing in accordance with the relevant requirements for exempted persons. Her sample collected at a Community Testing Centre on December 29 tested negative but she developed symptoms that evening. She consulted a private doctor on December 30. Her sample tested preliminarily positive today and carried the N501Y and T478K mutant strains. She had received two doses of COVID-19 vaccination (Comirnaty) in Hong Kong.

     According to the patient, she had stayed in her friend’s home at Tower 6, Albany Cove, Caribbean Coast Phase II in Tung Chung since December 29. 

     Due to the presence of mutant strain with higher transmissibility and risk of infection, the Government has adopted a prudent measure and has made a “restriction-testing declaration” tonight for the buildings where the patient resided in Hong Kong (Nam Tin Building, King’s Road in North Point and Tower 6, Albany Cove, Caribbean Coast Phase II in Tung Chung). The places where she had visited in Hong Kong 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. 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

     The Labour and Welfare Bureau today (January 1) reported that the Central Registry for Rehabilitation information management system was suspected to have been intruded and its computer servers have been suspended from oper… read more

     The Government announced today (January 1) that in view of the latest global developments of the COVID-19 pandemic situation, Barbados, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Guinea, St Kitts and Nevis, St Vincent and the Grenadines, and Urug… read more

     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 7pm, under which people (hereafter referred to as “persons subject to compulsory testing”) within the specified “restricted area” in North Point (i.e. Nam Tin Building, 275 King’s Road, North Point (excluding the restaurant located on L1 floor and L2 floor of Nam Tin Building). 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 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 1am 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 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 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. read more