The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government today (March 26) arranged two more chartered flights to bring back 277 Hong Kong residents stranded in Hubei Province to Hong Kong. Together with the 281 Hong Kong residents who took the chartered flights back yesterday (March 25), the HKSAR Government has brought back a total of 558 Hong Kong residents stranded in Hubei Province in this second batch operation.

     On board the two chartered flights today are 104 Hong Kong people stranded in Xiaogan and 138 in Xianning, as well as 35 people in other cities such as Yichang, Shiyan and Enshi, etc. in Hubei Province, who have urgent needs to return to Hong Kong. Among them, there were pregnant women, people suffering from serious illnesses and a student sitting for the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education examination. 

     There were 10 people aged 60 or above, 66 aged 16 or below, and among them, 11 were children aged three or below, joining the flights today. A family member of a child joined the first chartered flight to Wuhan to accompany the child to return to Hong Kong.

     A total of 47 staff members from the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau, the Immigration Department, the Department of Health (DH), the Information Services Department and the Hospital Authority joined the operation today and took the second chartered flight back to Hong Kong.

     All people who were taking the chartered flights back to Hong Kong have undergone health assessment by staff of the DH at an early stage to check whether they have developed symptoms such as fever. The Hubei Provincial Government also conducted verification to ascertain that all who were allowed to board the flight were not confirmed cases or suspected cases of COVID-19, and were not close contacts of confirmed patients. All of them had to undergo temperature checks at different stops, i.e., before they departed their home, when they arrived at the airport in Wuhan, during the immigration process and before boarding the plane, so as to ensure that they were not having fever, or developing abnormal vital signs, respiratory tract symptoms and other signs of infectious diseases.

     After returning to Hong Kong, they were required to undergo temperature check again and started home quarantine for 14 days in accordance with the Compulsory Quarantine of Certain Persons Arriving at Hong Kong Regulation (Cap. 599C). 

     The second two-day mission of bringing back Hong Kong residents stranded in Hubei Province has been concluded successfully. The HKSAR Government expressed gratitude to the care expressed by the Central Government and the support and co-operation by the Hubei Provincial Government and other municipal governments of the Province.

    The HKSAR Government also expressed gratitude to Cathay Pacific and Cathay Dragon for arranging the chartered flights and the meticulous arrangements by the cabin crew who took part in this mission. The Government also thanked all public officers who have planned and carried out this mission.

                

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     From March 20 to 9pm today (March 26), 411 and 103 travellers have been referred to the test centres at the AsiaWorld-Expo and North Lantau Hospital respectively for COVID-19 viral test. So far, 498 travellers have negative test results for COVID-19 and have returned to their residences to continue the 14-day home quarantine.
 
     Preliminary positive test results will be further confirmed by the Department of Health and announced as confirmed cases in due course.
 

     A Government spokesman today (March 26) said that a total of 54 persons have been sent to quarantine centres due to breaches of quarantine orders since the implementation of the compulsory quarantine requirement for persons arriving from foreign places. The Government will continue to enforce against breaches with full force, and press ahead prosecution for cases with sufficient evidence.
      
     The Government encourages the public to make use of the "e-Report Room" (www.erc.police.gov.hk/cmiserc/CCC/PolicePublicPage?language=en) online platform or call the report rooms of police stations (www.police.gov.hk/ppp_en/contact_us.html#rr) or 1823 to report suspected cases of breaching quarantine orders.
      
     â€‹The Government once again strongly condemns those who breach quarantine orders. Persons under quarantine must follow the quarantine requirement strictly and stay at their dwelling places for 14 days in order to prevent the spreading of COVID-19 in the community. Leaving dwelling places without permission is a criminal offence and offenders are subject to a maximum imprisonment for six months and fine of $25,000.
     

     Two operational events at Yangjiang Nuclear Power Station (YNPS) were reported on the website of Yangjiang Nuclear Power Co Ltd (YNPC), a Security Bureau spokesperson said today (March 26).

     On March 24, a large amount of acetes flooded into the seawater diversion channel and circulating water pumping stations of YNPS, continuously blocking the cooling circulating water inlet filters of the Station. At 6.30pm, Unit 4 of YNPS went into automatic safe shutdown, and other units operated at 80 per cent of their full power. After clearance of the acetes and cleaning of the filters by Station staff on site, Unit 4 of YNPS was reconnected to the power grid on March 25 at 1.14pm. The event was classified as Level 0 in accordance with the International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale and the relevant nuclear safety regulations, and had no effect on the safe operation of the nuclear power station, or on the health of the workers, nearby public or the environment.
      
     From 4.09pm to 4.35pm on March 25, a large amount of acetes flooded into the seawater diversion channel and circulating water pumping stations of YNPS, blocking the cooling circulating water inlet filters of the Station. Units 2, 3, 4 and 6 of the Station went into automatic safe shutdown. As a prudent safety measure, Station staff proactively brought Unit 1 and 5 to safe shutdown conditions. The event was classified as Level 1 in accordance with the International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale and the relevant nuclear safety regulations. It had no effect on the safe operation of the nuclear power station, or on the health of the workers, nearby public or the environment.
      
     At present, all six units at YNPS are in safe and controllable conditions. Station staff at the scene are taking measures such as fishing out the acetes and cleaning the filters, before reactivating the units and bringing them back to normal operation in accordance with relevant procedures. 
      
     The YNPC has disclosed the details about these two events on its website. They can be viewed at the "operational events" section under the "nuclear and radiation safety information" webpage of the YNPC website (www.yjnp.com.cn) (Chinese only).     

     Two operational events at Yangjiang Nuclear Power Station (YNPS) were reported on the website of Yangjiang Nuclear Power Co Ltd (YNPC), a Security Bureau spokesperson said today (March 26).

     On March 24, a large amount of acetes flooded into the seawater diversion channel and circulating water pumping stations of YNPS, continuously blocking the cooling circulating water inlet filters of the Station. At 6.30pm, Unit 4 of YNPS went into automatic safe shutdown, and other units operated at 80 per cent of their full power. After clearance of the acetes and cleaning of the filters by Station staff on site, Unit 4 of YNPS was reconnected to the power grid on March 25 at 1.14pm. The event was classified as Level 0 in accordance with the International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale and the relevant nuclear safety regulations, and had no effect on the safe operation of the nuclear power station, or on the health of the workers, nearby public or the environment.
      
     From 4.09pm to 4.35pm on March 25, a large amount of acetes flooded into the seawater diversion channel and circulating water pumping stations of YNPS, blocking the cooling circulating water inlet filters of the Station. Units 2, 3, 4 and 6 of the Station went into automatic safe shutdown. As a prudent safety measure, Station staff proactively brought Unit 1 and 5 to safe shutdown conditions. The event was classified as Level 1 in accordance with the International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale and the relevant nuclear safety regulations. It had no effect on the safe operation of the nuclear power station, or on the health of the workers, nearby public or the environment.
      
     At present, all six units at YNPS are in safe and controllable conditions. Station staff at the scene are taking measures such as fishing out the acetes and cleaning the filters, before reactivating the units and bringing them back to normal operation in accordance with relevant procedures. 
      
     The YNPC has disclosed the details about these two events on its website. They can be viewed at the "operational events" section under the "nuclear and radiation safety information" webpage of the YNPC website (www.yjnp.com.cn) (Chinese only).