Director of Health issues isolation order for Number 20, 22, 24 and 26 Reclamation Street, Yau Ma Tei, Kowloon

     The Director of Health issued today (January 15) an isolation order for Number 20, 22, 24 and 26 Reclamation Street, Yau Ma Tei, Kowloon pursuant to the power under section 25 of the Prevention and Control of Disease Regulation (Cap. 599A) (the Regulation) in order to facilitate contact tracing work in the buildings, with a view to preventing the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the community and safeguarding public health.

     The order is issued following the recent occurrence of a number of COVID-19 cases related to the buildings. The contact tracing work of the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) is made difficult as there are many subdivided units within the buildings without residents' lists. The order facilitates the identification of any remaining residents and arranging their quarantine at quarantine centres as soon as possible.
 
     Under the order, no person, other than a health officer, shall enter or leave the buildings, or bring into or take out of the buildings any articles, except with the written permission given by a health officer under section 31 of the Regulation. The isolation order remains effective until 11.59pm on January 28.

     With assistance from the Police, the CHP has arranged about 90 residents to be quarantined at quarantine centres. The CHP will continue to arrange remaining residents to quarantine facilities with assistance from the Police.

     "Taking into consideration the special circumstances surrounding the buildings concerned, DH has no choice but resorts to this exceptional measure," a spokesman of DH said.

     The spokesman also reminded that persons who had been present at the buildings for more than two hours at any time during the period from December 30, 2020, to January 12, 2021 (including but not limited to visitors, residents and workers) are required by the compulsory testing notice issued by the Secretary for Food and Health on January 12 to undergo a COVID-19 nucleic acid test by today.