ENB and EPD participate in distribution of anti-epidemic service bags

     The Secretary for the Environment, Mr Wong Kam-sing; and the Permanent Secretary for the Environment/Director of Environmental Protection, Miss Janice Tse, together with about 30 staff members from the Environment Bureau (ENB) and the Environmental Protection Department (EPD), participated in the distribution of anti-epidemic service bags this morning (April 3), delivering anti-epidemic supplies to the grassroots residents of two single-block buildings in Kwai Tsing District. They urged all residents to test themselves for COVID-19 using rapid antigen test (RAT) kits everyday between April 8 and 10 and report a positive result.
      
     Mr Wong said, "The Government has started distributing the anti-epidemic service bags to all households in Hong Kong starting from yesterday. Staff members of various grades from the ENB and the EPD also formed an anti-epidemic team and distributed the service bags to the households of two single-block buildings in Kwai Tsing District through door-to-door visits, so as to enhance residents' anti-epidemic awareness and strengthen their capacity in guarding against the epidemic. The provision of RAT kits inside the service bags enables the public to screen themselves everyday between April 8 and 10 and then report any positive results to the authorities."
      
     The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government arranged the packaging work for 3.5 million anti-epidemic service bags in three consecutive days. About 100 ENB and EPD staff also took part in it and completed the packing of about 18 000 anti-epidemic service bags in one and a half days, taking half the time of original schedule. Items inside the service bags are mainly anti-epidemic supplies from the Central Government, showing the motherland's care and support for Hong Kong people. Each service pack contains 20 RAT kits, 20 KN95 masks, two boxes of anti-epidemic proprietary Chinese medicines, as well as an anti-epidemic handbook and a message card produced by the HKSAR Government. The distribution of service bags is targeted to be completed within seven days.
      
     "The sewage test data objectively shows the per capita viral load in Hong Kong. According to the data, the current epidemic situation in Hong Kong still stays at a high plateau with a fluctuating trend and risk of rebound. Everyone should continue to maintain social distancing, make good use of the KN95 masks and respond to the Government's urge to conduct timely testing with the RAT kits. At the same time, we thank the Central Government for providing sufficient anti-epidemic supplies to Hong Kong citizens. As long as all members of the public are united in fighting the virus, Hong Kong will definitely win out over the epidemic," Mr Wong added.
      
     Mr Wong also thanked colleagues of ENB and EPD for providing their full dedication in their anti-epidemic work of sewage testing, "restriction-testing declaration" operations, as well as the packing and distribution of anti-epidemic service bags.