The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority: The spokesperson for United Christian Hospital (UCH) today (December 29) announced that a 71-year-old female COVID-19 confirmed patient (case No. 8377) passed away toda… read more
The Home Affairs Department (HAD) today (December 29) said that they will open 18 temporary cold shelters for people in need of the service after the issue of cold weather warning by the Hong Kong Observatory in accordance with the established mechanism.
The temporary cold shelters will normally provide mattresses and blankets/quilts, food and hot water to shelter users. Room heating will be available to maintain a warm room temperature. The temporary cold shelters will remain open during the whole period when the cold weather warning is still in force.
In view of the latest developments of the COVID-19 epidemic, the HAD will adopt infection control measures as advised by the Centre for Health Protection in temporary cold shelters. Infection control measures include checking of body temperature for persons who wish to seek refuge in the temporary cold shelter, provide alcohol-based handrub, request attendees to wear surgical mask inside the temporary cold shelter, provide disposable bedsheets upon request, and space out mattresses by at least 1.5 metres apart, etc.
The 18 temporary cold shelters are located at:
Hong Kong Districts
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Central and Western:
Sai Ying Pun Community Complex Community Hall
3/F, Sai Ying Pun Community Complex, 2 High Street, Sai Ying Pun
Eastern:
Causeway Bay Community Centre
3/F, 7 Fook Yum Road, Causeway Bay
Southern:
Lei Tung Community Hall
Lei Tung Estate, Ap Lei Chau
Wan Chai:
Wan Chai Activities Centre
LG/F, Wan Chai Market, 258 Queen’s Road East, Wan Chai
Kowloon Districts
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Kowloon City:
Hung Hom Community Hall
1/F, Kowloon City Government Offices, 42 Bailey Street, Hung Hom
Kwun Tong:
Lam Tin (West) Estate Community Centre
71 Kai Tin Road, Lam Tin
Sham Shui Po:
Nam Cheong District Community Centre
1 Cheong San Lane, Sham Shui Po
Wong Tai Sin:
Tsz Wan Shan (South) Estate Community Centre
45 Wan Wah Street, Tsz Wan Shan
Yau Tsim Mong:
Henry G Leong Yaumatei Community Centre
60 Public Square Street, Yau Ma Tei
New Territories
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Islands:
Tung Chung Community Hall
G/F, Tung Chung Municipal Services Building,
39 Man Tung Road, Tung Chung
Kwai Tsing:
Tai Wo Hau Estate Community Centre
15 Tai Wo Hau Road, Kwai Chung
North:
Cheung Wah Community Hall
Cheung Wah Estate, Fanling
Sai Kung:
King Lam Neighbourhood Community Centre
King Lam Estate, Tseung Kwan O
(Note: Replacing the Hang Hau Community Hall which has been used as a Community Testing Centre for the time being.)
Sha Tin:
Lung Hang Estate Community Centre
Lung Hang Estate, Sha Tin
Tai Po:
Tai Po Community Centre
2 Heung Sze Wui Street, Tai Po
Tsuen Wan:
Lei Muk Shue Community Hall
G/F, Hong Shue House, Lei Muk Shue Estate, Tsuen Wan
Tuen Mun:
Butterfly Bay Community Centre
Butterfly Estate (near Tip Sum House), Tuen Mun
Yuen Long:
Long Ping Community Hall
Long Ping Estate, Yuen Long
Under the cold weather, people in need could stay in the temporary cold shelters to take rest. For details of the temporary cold shelters, please visit the HAD’s website: www.had.gov.hk/en/public_services/emergency_services/emergency.htm read more
The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority: During the winter surge, the Hospital Authority is closely monitoring the service demand of Accident and Emergency Departments and the occupancy rates in publ… read more
With the prolonged local COVID-19 epidemic situation, the confirmed cases are distributed all over the territory. Some of the confirmed cases are asymptomatic and this indicates the existence of many silent transmission chains in the community. The Government had earlier sponsored a multi-disciplinary team of the University of Hong Kong to conduct a preliminary study on the monitoring of the COVID-19 virus level in sewage. The study revealed that the sewage samples in Fung Chak House of Choi Wan (II) Estate constantly tested positive, which implied that persons infected with COVID-19 might be present at the relevant place. The Government is very concerned about the situation, and has arranged for a testing agency to set up a mobile specimen collection station at the following location and dates. The new station would, together with the mobile specimen collection station at the basketball court next to Ming Lai House of Choi Wan (II) Estate which commenced operation on December 27, provide free testing service for residents and workers of Choi Wan (II) Estate.
| New mobile specimen collection station | Operating hours |
| Open area outside Fung Chak House of Choi Wan (II) Estate, Wong Tai Sin (only for residents and workers of Choi Wan (II) Estate) (Hong Kong Molecular Pathology Diagnostic Centre Limited) |
3pm to 8 pm (December 28) 10am to 8pm (from December 29 onwards) |
The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) said today (December 28) that it will start to accept applications for the Catering Business Subsidy Scheme, the Commercial Bathhouse Licence Holder Subsidy Scheme and the Places of Public Entertainment Licence Holder Subsidy Scheme under the fourth round of the Anti-epidemic Fund (AEF) from tomorrow (December 29).
The Government had earlier on provided financial relief measures to businesses affected by the epidemic and the Government’s various anti-epidemic and social distancing measures through a number of schemes under various rounds of the AEF, including the Food Licence Holders Subsidy Scheme, the Subsidy Scheme for Tenants of Cooked Food / Light Refreshment Stalls at FEHD Markets, the Catering Business (Social Distancing) Subsidy Scheme, the last-round Catering Business Subsidy Scheme; the Commercial Bathhouse Licence Holder Subsidy Scheme and the Places of Public Entertainment Licence Holder Subsidy Scheme. Hitherto, a total of over $9.2 billion in subsidies has been disbursed to eligible applicants.
In response to the recent development of the epidemic, the Government has been progressively tightening the social distancing measures starting from late November. On December 21, the Legislative Council Finance Committee approved the new-round Catering Business Subsidy Scheme, Commercial Bathhouse Licence Holder Subsidy Scheme and Places of Public Entertainment Licence Holder Subsidy Scheme under the AEF to provide further relief to the sectors directly affected by the further tightened social distancing measures. The FEHD announced details of these subsidy schemes today, with an application period from December 29 to January 28 next year.
To provide relief for catering premises providing dine-in services, the new-round Catering Business Subsidy Scheme will provide a one-off subsidy ranging from $100,000 to $500,000 to be disbursed in two tranches on equal splitting basis to eligible licence holders of general restaurants, light refreshment restaurants, marine restaurants and factory canteens in operation according to the floor areas of the premises as specified on their licences. To avoid abuse, an applicant at the time of application shall declare that the food business is still in operation, and if the business is not run by the licence holder, an affirmation of the business operator on supporting the application of the subsidy is required. It is estimated that the scheme will benefit about 17 000 catering outlets.
Moreover, for each eligible catering outlet mentioned above, if it is also running a karaoke establishment, nightclub and bar or pub and has closed the whole of its licensed premises as directed under the Prevention and Control of Disease (Requirement and Directions) (Business and Premises) Regulation (Cap. 599F), it is eligible to apply for an additional one-off subsidy of $50,000.
As regards cooked food/light refreshment market stall tenants as well as cooked food stall tenants holding a hawker licence and operating in public housing developments, each is eligible to apply for a one-off subsidy of $50,000.
Separately, the Commercial Bathhouse Licence Holder Subsidy Scheme will provide a one-off subsidy of $100,000 to each eligible licence holder of a commercial bathhouse. The Places of Public Entertainment Licence Holder Subsidy Scheme will provide a one-off subsidy of $100,000 for each eligible holder of a places of public entertainment licence (excluding cinema operators eligible under the Cinemas Subsidy Scheme) and $20,000 for each eligible holder of a temporary places of public entertainment licence.
For eligible food licence, liquor licence, karaoke establishment permit, commercial bathhouse licence and places of public entertainment holders, the application form and guidelines can be obtained from various District Environmental Hygiene Offices of the FEHD starting from 9am tomorrow. The application documents and details of the schemes can also be downloaded from the website of the FEHD (www.fehd.gov.hk) on the same day. The applicants can submit their applications through the FEHD website. They can also submit their applications to various District Environmental Hygiene Offices of the FEHD (to the corresponding licensing offices for liquor licences) in person or by mail. The deadline for application is January 28 next year. For approved applications, the FEHD will disburse the subsidies by crossed cheques to the correspondence addresses of the licensed food premises registered in the FEHD.
The FEHD will notify its cooked food/light refreshment market stall tenants as well as cooked food stall tenants holding a hawker licence and operating in public housing developments separately the arrangement of applications. They do not need to make applications online. read more