The Government today (March 11) 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 3pm, under which people (hereafter referred to as "persons subject to compulsory testing") within the specified "restricted area" in Sham Shui Po (i.e. Fook Yuet House, Fortune Estate, Sham Shui Po. 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 around 1.30pm tomorrow (March 12). The operation may be extended depending on test results.
 
     A Government spokesman said, "Under Cap. 599J, the Government can, according to the needs of infection control, make a 'restriction-testing declaration'.  As the sewage discharged from the above building was tested positive for COVID-19, it is suspected that there are asymptomatic patients in the building. Given the risk of infection in the relevant area is assessed to be likely higher, the Government decided to make a 'restriction-testing declaration' for the relevant area."
 
     The Government will set up temporary specimen collection stations at the "restricted area" and request persons subject to compulsory testing to undergo testing before 10pm today. 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.
 
     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 1.30pm 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.
 
     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 February 26 to March 11, 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 March 13, 2022. As a mutant strain is involved, for prudence's sake, vaccinated persons and persons who have recently been tested are also required to undergo testing.
 
     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 $10,000. 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.

     The Government yesterday (March 8) exercised the power under the Prevention and Control of Disease (Compulsory Testing for Certain Persons) Regulation (Cap. 599J) to make a "restriction-testing declaration" effective from 4pm yesterday, under which people (hereafter referred to as "persons subject to compulsory testing") within the specified "restricted area" in Yuen Long (i.e. Block 5, Sherwood Court, Kingswood Villas, Yuen Long, excluding the car park thereat) were required to stay in their premises and undergo compulsory testing. Persons subject to compulsory testing were required to stay in their premises until all such persons identified in the "restricted area" had undergone testing and the test results were mostly ascertained. 

     Moreover, the Government issued a compulsory testing notice yesterday, requiring persons who had been present at the above building for more than two hours from February 23 to March 8, 2022, even if they were not present in the "restricted area" at the time when the declaration took effect, to undergo compulsory testing on or before March 10, 2022. The Government announced the completion of the compulsory testing exercise at around 1.45pm today (March 9) and carried out enforcement action in the "restricted area" afterwards to verify that all people in the "restricted area" had undergone compulsory testing in accordance with the requirements of the relevant declaration and compulsory testing notice. The Government announced that the enforcement operation ended at around 3.15pm today.

     The Government provided food packs and necessity items for persons subject to compulsory testing, so as to facilitate the meal arrangements and daily needs of some persons subject to compulsory testing. Anti-epidemic proprietary Chinese medicines supplied by the Central People's Government were also provided to persons subject to compulsory testing to help them fight against the virus.

     The Home Affairs Department also set up a hotline for people restricted by the declaration to make enquiries and seek assistance. 

     The Government thanks persons subject to compulsory testing for their support and understanding. With everyone's co-operation and efforts, coupled with the tireless efforts of the testing contractors, residents have been informed about their testing results by SMS notification. After finishing the compulsory testing exercise at around 1.45pm today, the Government took enforcement action in the "restricted area" immediately to verify that all people in the "restricted area" had undergone testing according to the requirements of the declaration and the compulsory testing notice. Persons who could present an SMS notification containing a negative testing result or wore a wristband as proof of having undergone the compulsory testing could leave the "restricted area" through the designated exit after providing personal information to a prescribed officer. The enforcement operation was completed at around 3.15pm. Test records of around 140 persons subject to compulsory testing were checked. Nobody was found to have not undergone compulsory testing. Taking into account the above situation, the Secretary for Food and Health revoked the "restriction-testing declaration" in accordance with Cap. 599J (see attachment).

     The Government reminds the about 30 households who have not answered the door to contact the Government for arrangement of testing as soon as possible after reading the notices put up by the Government, in the hope of eliminating the possible risk of further spread of the virus in the community.

     The Government thanks all participating government staff and the testing agencies for their hard work. The Government is also grateful to those subject to compulsory testing for their support and understanding, and their full co-operation during this period in undergoing testing and waiting for the results at home.

     The Government will seriously follow up on the compliance situation of the compulsory testing notices and the "restriction-testing declaration" by persons subject to compulsory testing. Any person who fails to comply with the compulsory testing notices commits an offence and may be liable to a fixed penalty of $10,000. The person will 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 order or the "restriction-testing declaration" is an offence and the offender may be liable to a fine of level 4 ($25,000) and imprisonment for six months.

  

     In light of the positive test results for the COVID-19 virus from some sewage samples collected in North District, Tai Po, Tsuen Wan and Wong Tai Sin, the Home Affairs Department (HAD) said today (March 8) that the North District Office (NDO), the Tai Po District Office (TPDO), the Tsuen Wan District Office (TWDO) and the Wong Tai Sin District Office (WTSDO) have distributed a total of about 84 920 COVID-19 rapid test kits (rapid test kits) to households, cleansing workers and property management staff living and working in the districts.
      
     The NDO distributed rapid test kits to households, cleansing workers and property management staff living and working in Cheung Wah Estate for voluntary testing through the owners' corporation and the property management company of the estate.
      
     The TPDO also distributed rapid test kits to households, cleansing workers and property management staff living and working in Wang Fuk Court and Tai Wo Estate for voluntary testing through the owners' corporations and the property management companies.
      
     The TWDO distributed rapid test kits to residents of Kwan Mun Hau Tsuen and Yeung Uk Tsuen for voluntary testing through the Village Representatives. The TWDO also distributed rapid test kits to households, cleansing workers and property management staff living and working in Sheung Chui Court, H Cube, New Haven, East Asia Gardens, Tsuen Cheong Centre, Tsuen Wan Garden, Ho Fai Garden, Indi Home and Chelsea Court for voluntary testing through the property management companies.
      
     Moreover, the WTSDO distributed rapid test kits to households, cleansing workers and property management staff living and working in King Hin Court, Sun Lai Garden, Choi Fung Court and Fu Shan Estate for voluntary testing through the property management companies and the Housing Department.
      
     The HAD made the above arrangements in the hope of identifying infected persons early.
      
     If people living or working in the above areas test positive with the rapid test kits, they may call 2280 4772, the Government's 24-hour hotline for "persons who tested positive with rapid antigen tests in areas with positive sewage testing results" to arrange door-to-door delivery of rapid antigen test kits and/or a nasal swab self-sampling kit free of charge. If people wish to undergo polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing, they may collect a nasal swab specimen and arrange door-to-door collection of the specimen for PCR testing.
      
     For more information on rapid test kits, please view the following demonstration video produced by the Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health: www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzFAUzTtmKk.
      
     The Government appeals for the co-operation of members of the public to safeguard the health of themselves and their families by undergoing testing on a voluntary basis and fighting the virus together. The Government urges all individuals who are in doubt about their own health condition, or individuals with infection risks (such as individuals who visited places with epidemic outbreaks or had contact with cases that tested positive), to undergo testing promptly for early identification of infected persons to reduce the transmission risks of COVID-19.    

        

     The Mainland expert delegation led by the Head of the National Health Commission's COVID-19 leading task force, Professor Liang Wannian, continued its visit in Hong Kong today (March 2). They visited the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) to exchange views with representatives of the DH and the Hospital Authority (HA) and offer advice.

     The Director of Health, Dr Ronald Lam; the Controller of the CHP of the DH, Dr Edwin Tsui; and relevant DH colleagues and representatives from the HA held a meeting at the CHP this morning with Professor Liang and the Mainland experts led by him as well as Mainland experts from the task force of epidemiologists. They had an in-depth discussion on the epidemic situation in Hong Kong and analysed relevant statistics. The challenges posed by the fifth wave of the epidemic and the Mainland experience in tackling the epidemic were also elaborated.

     Dr Lam expressed gratitude to the Central People's Government for their extensive and swift support to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. He also thanked the NHC expert delegation for their visit and advice offered on the anti-epidemic work. Representative of the CHP explained about the statistical analysis under the fifth wave of epidemic in Hong Kong and illustrated the key measures in risk prevention and control. The experts provided valuable opinions during the meeting and the CHP will continue its exchange with the expert delegation in exploring and intensifying the strategies and measures to control the fifth wave of the epidemic.

     Led by Professor Liang, the delegation came to Hong Kong on February 28. They were joined by the four epidemiological experts who arrived in Hong Kong earlier to conduct visits in Hong Kong.