Author Archives: hksar gov

     A spokesman for the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) said today (January 3) that the FEHD continued to step up its inspections territorywide and conduct joint operations with the Police in Southern District, Mong Kok District and Sha Tin District, so as to take stringent enforcement actions against operators, staff and customers of catering businesses and certain other premises in defiance of the anti-epidemic regulations during festive occasions including New Year’s Eve and New Year holidays. The spokesman again reminded parties concerned to remain vigilant and strictly comply with the requirements and directions under the Prevention and Control of Disease (Requirements and Directions) (Business and Premises) Regulation (Cap. 599F) (the Regulation). The FEHD will continue to conduct enforcement operations proactively, and urges premises operators not to defy the law.

     In the past three days, the FEHD and the Police inspected a total of 37 catering premises during the joint operations; and the FEHD on its own inspected a total of 1 370 catering premises and 435 other premises. The FEHD initiated procedures on prosecution against operators of 39 catering premises and one karaoke establishment suspected of breaching the requirements under the directions. Among the requirements suspected to be breached, twenty related to mask-wearing, eight related to the distance or partition between tables, five related to display of notice concerning mode of operation, one related to display of notice concerning air change or air purifiers, one related to ensuring scanning “LeaveHomeSafe” venue QR code by customers, one related to maximum number of persons allowed to be seated together at one table, one related to ensuring staff to comply with vaccination requirement, one related to ensuring staff to comply with regular testing requirement, one related to both display of notice concerning mode of operation and ensuring scanning “LeaveHomeSafe” venue QR code by customers and one related to both mask-wearing and the distance or partition between tables. The FEHD also required these premises to take corresponding measures for reducing the risk of transmission. They had to, on the subsequent day of being identified the irregularities by the enforcement officers, cease selling or supplying food or drink for consumption on the premises from 6pm to 4.59am of the subsequent day, and allow no more than two persons to be seated together at one table, ranging from three, seven to 14 days, while the karaoke establishment is required to be closed for three days.  In addition, the FEHD also issued fixed penalty tickets (FPNs) to three customers suspected of breaching the requirement of scanning “LeaveHomeSafe” venue QR code, one staff suspected of breaching the vaccination requirement and one staff suspected of breaching the regular testing requirement.  During the joint operations, the Police also took enforcement actions, including issuing fixed penalty notices.

     If a person responsible for carrying on a catering business contravenes the Regulation, he or she is liable to being prosecuted and, upon conviction, to a maximum fine of $50,000 and imprisonment for six months. Persons who are present at any premises of a catering business must comply with directions applicable to them. Non-compliance with the relevant directions would be an offence and offenders are subject to a maximum fine of $10,000. The liability may be discharged by paying a fixed penalty of $5,000. In addition, for customers in breach of the requirement on the maximum number of persons per table within catering premises, they are liable to a fixed penalty of $5,000 for violating Cap. 599G. For customers not wearing a mask when they are eating or drinking not at a table therein or they are not eating or drinking, they are liable to a fixed penalty of $5,000 for contravening the Prevention and Control of Disease (Wearing of Mask) Regulation (Cap. 599I).

    The spokesman stressed that the FEHD will continue to step up law enforcement on catering premises and take stringent enforcement actions against offenders. To minimise the risk of transmission of COVID-19, the spokesman strongly appealed to operators and staff members of all premises as well as members of the public to continue to comply with the relevant regulations on prevention and control of disease and observe all prevailing social distancing measures in a persistent manner during and after the New Year Holidays and fight the virus together. read more

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:      As at 9am today (January 3), five patients who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 virus (case numbers: 12431, 12435, 12483, 12488 and 12492) were discha… read more

     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) today (January 3) provided updates on the epidemiological investigation and contact tracing of SARS-CoV-2 virus cases involving Moon Palace at Festival Walk. There are so far five cases (case 12611, 12637, 12654, 12673 and 12708) tested positive related to Moon Palace.

     Among the above-mentioned relevant cases, case 12708 is an additional case announced today involving a 38-year-old female, who is the wife of case 12654 and had meal together at Moon Palace from around 2.30pm to 4pm on December 27. She went to a community testing centre for test in accordance with the relevant requirement of the compulsory testing notice (CTN) on December 29 and tested negative. She was classified as a household close contact and was arranged to conduct quarantine at Penny’s Bay Quarantine Centre (PBQC) on December 30. She developed sore throat on January 1 and her specimen collected on January 2 tested positive with a Ct value larger than 30, carrying N501Y and T478K mutant strains. Her Ct value dropped to 25 after admission to hospital, indicating a recent infection preliminarily.

     Moreover, the whole genome sequencing analysis conducted by the Public Health Laboratory Services Branch confirmed that cases 12611, 12637 and 12654 have identical genetic sequences. The DH will continue to conduct whole genome sequencing analysis for the remaining cases. 

     Meanwhile, the CHP is investigating an additional case tested preliminarily positive for SARS-CoV-2 virus which is related to the Moon Palace. It involves a 66-year-old female living in Tower 2, Granville Garden, 18 Pik Tin Street in Tai Wai, who had meal at Moon Palace from around 12.30pm to 1.30pm on December 27. She went to a community testing centre for test in accordance with the relevant requirement of the CTN on December 29 and tested negative. She was arranged to conduct quarantine at PBQC on December 31 and tested negative on the same day. She developed sore throat and cough on January 2 and her specimen collected on the same day tested preliminarily positive with a Ct value larger than 30, carrying N501Y mutant strain. The patient is retired and has no recent travel history. She received two doses of COVID-19 vaccination (CoronaVac) on July 16 and August 13 in Hong Kong.

     As a prudent measure, the Government has made a “restriction-testing declaration” tonight for the building where the patient resides (Tower 2, Granville Garden, 18 Pik Tin Street in Tai Wai) and persons who resided or worked at the buildings will be subject to increased compulsory testing frequency. The places where the patient had visited in Hong Kong during the incubation period will also be included in a CTN. Specified persons who were present at the relevant venues at specified periods need to undergo compulsory testing on the specified date. 

     The CHP is continuing its contact tracing work of cases related to Moon Palace. The latest investigation revealed that there were a total of 207 customers who have patronised that restaurant during the relevant period of time, among which 201 have been arranged to conduct quarantine at PBQC. The CHP has earlier collected 44 environmental samples in which none of them tested positive. The CHP collected an additional 46 environmental samples today with the test results pending.

     The Government has earlier exercised power under the Prevention and Control of Disease (Compulsory Testing for Certain Persons) Regulation (Cap. 599J) to require any person who had been present at Moon Palace from 1pm to 3pm on December 27 (including but not limited to visitors and workers), have to undergo testing by December 30. Moon Palace will be included in a CTN again for prudence sake and relevant persons will be required to undergo another test on or before tomorrow (January 4) and to report their testing results to the CHP. The CHP appeals again to those who had meals at Moon Palace from 1pm to 3pm on December 27 to call the CHP’s hotlines at 2125 1111 or 2125 1122 as soon as possible to facilitate the CHP’s epidemiological investigations and contact tracing.

     â€‹The Government will continue to trace possibly infected persons who had been to the relevant premises, and seriously follow up their compliance with the testing notices. Any person who fails to comply with the testing notices commits an offence and may be fined a fixed penalty of $5,000. 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 order is an offence and the offender would be liable to a fine at level 4 ($25,000) and imprisonment for six months. Relevant officers of different government departments are empowered to perform certain functions under the relevant Regulations under the Prevention and Control of Disease Ordinance (Cap. 599), including requesting individuals to provide information and assistance when necessary. Any person who fails to comply with the relevant request commits an offence and would be liable to a fine at level 3 ($10,000).  read more

     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) today (January 3) announced the latest epidemic situation of COVID-19. As of 0.00am, January 3, the CHP was investigating 13 additional confirmed cases and 16 additional asymptomatic cases in the past 24 hours (i.e. there were 29 additional cases tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 virus confirmed by the Public Health Laboratory Services Branch (PHLSB) in that 24 hours), taking the number of confirmed cases to 12 677 so far and starting from January 1 recorded 45 asymptomatic cases. Hong Kong has recorded a total of 12 722 cases tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 virus so far.

     The newly reported cases consist of 28 imported cases and one case epidemiologically linked with imported case. Twenty-seven of the cases involved mutant strains while mutation test results of the remaining two cases are pending. The patients comprise six males and 23 females, aged 24 to 66. Among the imported cases, one of them arrived in Hong Kong from Group A specified places (high-risk) with enhanced surveillance and 27 from Group A specified places (high-risk); eight patients tested positive during the “test-and-hold” arrangement upon arrival at the Temporary Specimen Collection Centre (TSCC) at Hong Kong International Airport and 17 tested positive during quarantine. Case 12709 is a close contact of a previously confirmed imported cases 12693 and tested positive at a hospital. Case 12726 and 12727 are close contacts of two previously confirmed imported cases 12593 and 12655 respectively. They tested positive at the Penny’s Bay Quarantine Centre (PBQC). Case 12708 is the case epidemiologically linked with imported case, who is the wife of case 12654 related to Moon Palace. She was arranged to quarantine at the PBQC on December 30 and tested positive subsequently. The case details have been announced yesterday (www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202201/02/P2022010200536.htm).

     For imported cases 12699 and 12700, the patients had stayed in Hong Kong during the incubation period. Case 12699 involves a 45-year-old male patient who is a local aircrew member living at Tower 6B, Century Link in Tung Chung. He departed Hong Kong for Australia on December 27, 2021 and returned to Hong Kong on December 30 by flight CX178 from Australia. His specimen collected upon arrival in the TSCC tested negative. After his arrival, the patient then stayed at Headland Hotel (airport hotel) under relevant quarantine arrangement. He developed sore throat on January 1 and tested positive on the same day with Ct value of about 30. According to the patient, he departed for the United Kingdom on December 19. His test conducted at the TSCC after his arrival on December 20 and the test conducted at a community testing centre on December 22 both tested negative. He then departed for Malaysia on December 26 and returned Hong Kong on the same day. His test conducted at the TSCC tested negative. Case 12700 involves a 28-year-old female patient living at Tower 1, Yuk Ming Towers, 208 Third Street, Sai Ying Pun. She departed Hong Kong on December 23 for Canada after she tested negative on December 21. She arrived in Hong Kong on December 30 from Canada by flight AC007 and her specimen collected upon arrival in the TSCC tested negative. She underwent compulsory quarantine at a designated quarantine hotel (Best Western Plus Hotel Hong Kong, Sai Ying Pun) and her sample on January 1, 2022 tested positive, with a CT value less than 30.

     The CHP is also investigating a case epidemiologically linked with imported case which is tested preliminarily positive involving a 35-year-old male. He is a family member of an earlier imported case 12676 living together. He has no recent travel history. He is asymptomatic and as a close contact, he was arranged to conduct quarantine at PBQC on January 1. His specimen collected on January 3 tested preliminarily positive with a Ct value of 30/32. The test results on mutant strains are pending. He works at Unit 2002, Floor 20, The Metropolis Tower, 10 Metroplis Drive, Hung Hom where he last went to work on December 31. The patient has not received COVID-19 vaccination.

     Also, the CHP is investigating an overseas case involving a 31-year-old male patient who is a local aircrew member living at Yiu Chung Building, 370A Portland Street, Mong Kok. He tested negative in Hong Kong on December 24 and travelled to the United States (US) on December 25. He arrived in Hong Kong on December 26 from the US by flight CX882 and his specimen collected upon arrival in the TSCC tested negative. Subsequently, he travelled to the US on December 30 by flight CX846 after he tested negative on December 28 in Hong Kong. His specimen collected in the US on December 31 tested positive. He developed cough and fever from December 30. He received two doses of COVID-19 vaccination (Comirnaty) on July 1 and July 22 in Hong Kong.

     With regard to the four above-mentioned cases, as a prudent measure, specified persons who were present at the relevant venues (including the places where the cases resided, visited or worked in Hong Kong during the incubation periods) at specified periods need to undergo compulsory testing on the specified dates.

     A total of 166 cases tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 virus have been reported in the past 14 days (December 20 to January 2, 2022). Five of them are epidemiologically linked with imported cases/possibly import-related cases, while the rest are imported cases.

     Meanwhile, the whole genome sequencing analysis of cases announced earlier conducted by the PHLSB confirmed that cases 12573, 12580, 12590, 12607, 12617, 12619 and 12656 all carried the Variant of Concern Omicron. These cases involve four males and three females aged 15 to 61 years old. Two of them tested positive during the “test-and-hold” arrangement upon arrival at the TSCC and four tested positive during quarantine; and one tested positive during compulsory testing for persons working in airport.

     Together with the aforementioned cases, there are so far 102 cases involving Omicron in Hong Kong.

     Also, as the passenger flight (CX906) operated by Cathay Pacific arriving in Hong Kong from Manila, the Philippines, on January 1, 2022 had seven passengers who tested positive upon arrival, the DH thus invoked the Prevention and Control of Disease (Regulation of Cross-boundary Conveyances and Travellers) Regulation (Cap. 599H) to prohibit the landing of passenger flights in Hong Kong from Manila operated by Cathay Pacific from January 3 to 16, 2022.

     According to the testing and quarantine arrangements for local cases with mutant strains, the CHP reminded that persons who resided or worked within the same building as the residence of relevant cases will be subject to compulsory testing on specified dates in accordance with the announcement by the DH. They will also be required to undergo self-monitoring until the 21st day (see the details of the buildings and dates of testing at www.coronavirus.gov.hk/pdf/CTN_Specified_premises_and_Dates_of_Testing.pdf).

     Specified persons in relation to the following specified premises are also reminded to undergo compulsory testing in accordance with the CTN tomorrow (January 4):

• Cheung Hing Building, 44-48 Pitt Street, Yau Ma Tei
• Block 18A, Serenity Villa, 230A Tai Po Tau, Tai Po
• On Hei House, Siu Hei Court, 201 Wu Chui Road, Tuen Mun
• Tower 17, Hong Kong Parkview, 88 Tai Tam Reservoir Road, Tai Tam
• Grandeur Terrace Block 2, 88 Tin Shui Road, Tin Shui Wai
• Tower 6, Albany Cove, Caribbean Coast Phase II, 1 Kin Tung Road, Tung Chung (excluding the Greenfield English (International) Kindergarten (Tung Chung) located on the ground floor of Tower 6, Albany Cove, Caribbean Coast Phase II and Tower 7, Albany Cove, Caribbean Coast)
• Block 6, Villa Athena, 600 Sai Sha Road, Ma On Shan
• Tower 1, Yuk Ming Towers, 208 Third Street, Sai Ying Pun

     The CHP’s epidemiological investigations and relevant contact tracing on the reported cases are ongoing. For case details and contact tracing information, please see the Annex or the “COVID-19 Thematic Website” (www.coronavirus.gov.hk).

     â€‹â€‹â€‹â€‹The spokesman for the CHP stressed, “The global situation of COVID-19 infection remains severe and there is a continuous increase in the number of cases involving mutant strains that carry higher transmissibility, and there are also reports of breakthrough infections in some vaccinated individuals. The CHP strongly urges members of the public to avoid all non-essential travel outside Hong Kong, in particular to specified places with high risk under the Prevention and Control of Disease (Regulation of Cross-boundary Conveyances and Travellers) Regulation (Cap. 599H).” read more

     The Government announced today (January 3) that in view of the latest global developments of the COVID-19 pandemic situation, Bulgaria will be specified as a Group A specified place from 0.00am on January 6 to tighten the boarding a… read more