Author Archives: hksar gov

     Following the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government’s announcement today (March 15) on the Red Outbound Travel Alert (OTA) issued on the Ireland, the United Kingdom and the United States in response to the latest situations of COVID-19, the Department of Health (DH) will strengthen health quarantine arrangements on inbound travellers arriving from these three countries as well as Egypt of which a Red OTA is in force. As the situation around the world is evolving rapidly, members of the public are strongly urged to avoid non-essential travel outside Hong Kong.
      
     Starting from 0.00am on March 19, the DH’s Port Health Division officers will issue quarantine orders under the Prevention and Control of Disease Regulation (Cap. 599A) for compulsory home quarantine to people arriving in Hong Kong who have been to the Ireland, the United Kingdom, the United States and Egypt in the past 14 days, regardless of whether they are Hong Kong residents.
      
     Meanwhile, the quarantine measures announced earlier for people arriving in Hong Kong who have been to Korea, Iran, Hokkaido in Japan and Schengen Area in Europe (Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Principality of Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovak Republic, Republic of Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland) in the past 14 days remain unchanged.
      
     A spokesman for the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) said that the Government has all along remained vigilant against the outbreak of COVID-19 in the Mainland and overseas. In the past 14 days (from March 2 to 4pm on March 15), 26 (56.5 per cent) out of 46 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Hong Kong are imported cases while seven other cases (15.2 per cent) involve patients visiting places outside Hong Kong during part of the incubation period. The CHP has been reviewing and will timely adjust the health quarantine measures and their feasibility by taking into account the latest developments and risk in different countries as well as the existing capacity of quarantine facilities in Hong Kong, measures adopted by other governments and to ensure the normal operation of local healthcare system. As the capacity of quarantine facilities in Hong Kong is limited at the moment, the Government has decided that the current quarantine centres need to be reserved for quarantine of close contacts of confirmed cases of COVID-19.
         
     In view of proliferation of the disease and continuous increase in the number of cases reported around the world, members of the public are again urged to avoid all non-essential travel outside Hong Kong. If it is unavoidable to travel to countries/areas outside Hong Kong, they should put on a surgical mask and continue to do so for 14 days upon their return to Hong Kong.
      
     The spokesman said that the Government has been conducting detailed assessments for formulating port health measures in response to the occurrence of outbreaks in countries or areas outside Hong Kong. The assessment will take into account factors such as the number, distribution and rate of increase of infected persons, measures put in place for surveillance and control of the outbreak, and the frequency of visits by Hong Kong residents. The Government will review and adjust the measures in view of the developments.
      
     Before travelling outside Hong Kong, members of the public should be aware of the potential health risk and applicable quarantine arrangements upon returning to Hong Kong. For the situation of various countries/areas, please refer to the information uploaded onto the “COVID-19 Thematic Website” (www.coronavirus.gov.hk). read more

     In view of the health risks arising from the persistent and rapid increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in Ireland, the United Kingdom and the United States, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government today (March 15) has decided to issue the Red Outbound Travel Alert (OTA) on the aforesaid countries based on public health considerations.

     The Red OTA urges members of the public planning to travel to the aforementioned countries to adjust travel plans and avoid non-essential travel. In general, members of the public are advised to consider delaying all non-essential travel outside Hong Kong.
 
     For those who are already in the aforementioned countries, they should:
 

• pay attention to announcements by local authorities;
• put on a surgical mask all the time;
• avoid unnecessary visits to healthcare facilities and crowded places;
• avoid close contact with persons with a fever or respiratory symptoms;
• wear a surgical mask and inform the hotel staff or tour escort and seek medical advice at once if experiencing a fever or cough; and
• perform hand hygiene frequently, especially before touching the mouth, nose or eyes; after touching public installations such as handrails or door knobs; or when hands are contaminated by respiratory secretions after coughing or sneezing.

     If it is unavoidable to travel to the aforementioned countries, the public should pay close attention to the latest situation of COVID-19 and the corresponding travel health advice issued by the Department of Health (DH). If assistance is needed, they may call the 24-hour hotline of the Assistance to Hong Kong Residents Unit (AHU) of the Immigration Department (ImmD) at (852) 1868 or contact the Chinese Embassy in the respective countries at their consular protection hotline listed below:
 

Country	Consular Protection Hotline
Ireland	(353) 87-2239198
United Kingdom	(44) 20-74368294 / 20-76311430
United States	(202) 495-2216

     After returning to Hong Kong, consult a doctor promptly if experiencing a fever or other symptoms, take the initiative to inform the doctor of any recent travel history and any exposure to animals, and wear a surgical mask to help prevent spread of the disease until 14 days after returning to Hong Kong.
 
     The Food and Health Bureau will closely monitor the situation. Any updates will be issued through the media, the Government’s “COVID-19 Thematic Website” (www.coronavirus.gov.hk/eng/index.html), the DH’s webpage (www.gov.hk/ncv) and the Security Bureau’s OTA webpage (www.sb.gov.hk/eng/ota). Any enquiries on health information on COVID-19 may be addressed to the DH’s hotline at (852) 2125 1122 (operating daily from 8am to midnight).
 
     In addition, Hong Kong residents are encouraged to use the online Registration of Outbound Travel Information service (www.gov.hk/roti) to register their contact details and itinerary when outside Hong Kong. The information provided allows the DH and AHU of the ImmD to disseminate practical information to them through appropriate means including SMS on mobile phones, on a timely basis when necessary.
 
     Apart from the aforementioned countries, the Government also issued the Red OTA on certain European countries (Schengen Area), Korea, as well as Hokkaido in Japan, and alerted the public about the outbreak of COVID-19 cases and associated health risks in Egypt and Iran under the Red OTA currently in force, in light of the persistent and rapid increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in these countries/regions. read more

     The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, visited once again the Lo Wu Correctional Institution of the Correctional Services Department (CSD) today (March 15) to inspect the situation of the increase in production of surgical m… read more

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:      As at noon today (March 15), public hospitals had reported to the Department of Health the admission of 64 patients (32 male and 32 female, aged 2 to 87) in the past 24… read more

The following is issued on behalf of the Liquor Licensing Board:
 
     The Liquor Licensing Board (LLB) will meet on Tuesday (March 17) to consider two applications for renewal or amendment of liquor licences.
 
     The applications are (not in order of discussion):
 
Hong Kong:
————–
11 Westside in Kennedy Town
 
New Territories:
——————-
BAR PACIFIC in Tuen Mun
 
     The board will also consider revocation of the liquor licence of Royal House in Kowloon City.
 
     The meeting will be held at 9.45am in the conference room, Room 102, 1/F, 258 Queen’s Road East, Wan Chai. In response to the latest developments of COVID-19, to avoid the gathering of people in an enclosed environment and safeguard the health of all participants, public seats will not be available for all open hearings of the LLB in the interim. read more