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).

     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.

     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).

     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 operation.
     
     The Bureau discovered yesterday (December 31, 2021) that the servers of the above system might have been hacked into for carrying out suspected activities. The servers in question held around 190 000 records (including some duplicate ones), involving personal data of applicants for "Registration Card for People with Disabilities", including name, Hong Kong Identity Card number, date of birth, address and types of disability. The Bureau is undertaking further investigations to ascertain if information in the system have been accessed or hacked so as to take appropriate follow-up actions.

     A spokesman for the Labour and Welfare Bureau said, "We take the incident very seriously and apologise for any concern or inconvenience arising from the suspected hacking. We have reported the case to the Police, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data and the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer, and are providing full assistance to their investigations. In parallel, the Bureau will further step up system security as well as the protection of personal data and privacy to prevent similar occurrence in future. We will inform the affected data subjects as soon as practicable to remind them to stay alert to unknown or suspicious correspondence."

     Should holders of the "Registration Card for People with Disabilities" or their parents/legal guardians have any enquiry, they may contact the Labour and Welfare Bureau by email (enquiry@lwb.gov.hk) or by phone (2180 9384) during office hours.

     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 Uruguay will be specified as Group A specified places from 0.00am on January 4, to tighten the boarding and quarantine requirements for relevant inbound travellers.
 
     To manage and prevent the importation risks posed by Omicron cases, the Government will continue to employ the most stringent measures to guard against importation of cases. Overseas places where Omicron cases have been detected that may lead to local transmission and exportation of cases will be specified as Group A specified places. Noting that the detection of Omicron cases was confirmed in Barbados, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Guinea, St Kitts and Nevis, St Vincent and the Grenadines, and Uruguay, the Government will specify them as Group A specified places from 0.00am on January 4. Non-Hong Kong residents who have stayed there within 21 days will not be allowed to enter Hong Kong. Hong Kong residents can only board a flight for Hong Kong if they have been fully vaccinated and hold a recognised vaccination record. They will have to undergo compulsory quarantine in a designated quarantine hotel for 21 days upon returning to Hong Kong, with six tests to be conducted during quarantine, followed by compulsory testing in a community testing centre on the 26th day of arrival in Hong Kong.
 
     Details on the relevant boarding and compulsory quarantine requirements for respective specified places can be found at www.coronavirus.gov.hk/eng/inbound-travel.html.
 
     The Government will gazette the relevant updated specifications under the Prevention and Control of Disease (Regulation of Cross-boundary Conveyances and Travellers) Regulation (Cap. 599H) to effect the above measures.