The following is issued on behalf of the Judiciary:
As announced earlier, the Judiciary will from March 1 (Monday) require all persons who enter the Judiciary premises to use the "LeaveHomeSafe" mobile app so as to enhance protection of court users against COVID-19 infection following the resumption of normal court business.
Those who do not scan the venue QR code with the app will be asked to have their names, contact numbers and the dates and times of their visits recorded on a registration form. The form has been uploaded to the Judiciary website (www.judiciary.hk/en/court_services_facilities/leavehomesafe.html) and is available at the Judiciary premises.
All persons who do not use the app and refuse to have their contact information recorded will be denied entry to the Judiciary premises.
The data collected will solely be used to facilitate the work of the Government in controlling the spread of COVID-19 and related purposes, and may be provided to the relevant government departments for epidemiological investigations and contact tracing.
While the Judiciary will make every effort to minimise inconvenience to court users, it is inevitable that the measure will mean more time required for court users to gain access to the Judiciary premises. As such, court users are advised to download and learn to use the app before going to the Judiciary premises and arrive at the Judiciary premises earlier, particularly during the peak hours in the early morning or after the lunch break.
For enquiries regarding the technical or operational details of the app, court users may call the government hotline at 1823.
The Judiciary will continue to maintain other preventive measures including mandatory body temperature checks, requiring all people to wear surgical masks at all times unless otherwise directed by judges or judicial officers and reducing seating capacity of courtrooms, court lobbies, registries and accounts offices.
Any court users including parties and legal representatives who have a fever or a high body temperature; who are subject to any quarantine requirement, medical surveillance or compulsory testing while waiting for test results; or who have preliminarily tested positive or tested positive for COVID-19 are not allowed to enter Judiciary premises. They should apply to the court as soon as practicable for permission of absence or inform the court with reasons for absence as appropriate.
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