A total of 12 nomination forms for the 2020 Legislative Council General Election were received today (July 20) by the Returning Officers for the five geographical constituencies and the 29 functional constituencies.
 
     This brings to 30 the total number of nomination forms received since the start of the nomination period on July 18. The nomination period will continue until July 31.
 
     The number of nomination forms received for each geographical constituency is as follows:
 

 
     The number of nomination forms received for each functional constituency is as follows:
 

 
     Particulars of the nominees will be available on the election website (www.elections.gov.hk/legco2020/eng/nominat.html).

     A woman who went missing in Sham Shui Po has been located.

     Lam Hung-kiu, aged 85, went missing after she was last seen at Tung Chau Street Park on July 12 morning. Her family made a report to Police on the same day.

     The woman was located at Tung Chau Street Park on July 18. She sustained no injuries and no suspicious circumstances were detected.

     The Secretary for the Civil Service, Mr Patrick Nip, visited the monitoring centre of the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO) at the Customs Headquarters Building in North Point today (July 20) to give encouragement to colleagues participating in anti-epidemic work.

     Accompanied by the Commissioner of Customs and Excise, Mr Hermes Tang, and the Deputy Government Chief Information Officer, Mr Tony Wong, Mr Nip was briefed on the use of the multi-tech approach in monitoring persons under home quarantine. For instance, electronic wristbands and the "StayHomeSafe" mobile app, coupled with geo-fencing technology, artificial intelligence and big data analytics technologies, are being used to ascertain that persons under home quarantine are staying at their dwelling places.
      
     Mr Nip also chatted with colleagues on duty at the centre to know more about their work, including how they support persons under home quarantine to activate and use the "StayHomeSafe" mobile app, and how they handle their enquiries on home quarantine. He said he was pleased to know that apart from OGCIO colleagues, some serving and retired civil servants also also helping out at the centre as volunteers, with the serving civil servants taking up the volunteer work at the monitoring centre after their own work in order to help fight against the epidemic. 

     Mr Nip said, "The Government has all along been closely monitoring the epidemic situation in order to respond promptly. In view of the severity of the local epidemic situation, the Government needs to take further measures to significantly reduce the flow of people and social contacts to stop COVID-19 from further spreading in the community. As such, the Government has suspended non-emergency and non-essential services starting from today to enable colleagues to work from home, tentatively for one week. We will closely monitor the epidemic situation and review the arrangement in due course. 

     "Under the special work arrangement, many colleagues still have to work as usual to provide emergency and essential public services. They include colleagues from the disciplined services as well as other front-line colleagues and colleagues involved in anti-epidemic work from various departments. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to them for their dedication to duties and hard work amid the epidemic."

        

     The Government gazetted today (July 20) the directions under the Prevention and Control of Disease (Requirements and Directions) (Business and Premises) Regulation (Cap. 599F) to extend existing social distancing measures. The above directions will take effect at 0.00am on July 22, 2020 for a period of seven days till July 28, 2020.

     The Government strongly urges the public to stay at home as much as possible, go out less often unless necessary, and avoid dining out and unnecessary social activities (including private gatherings), to fight the epidemic together and prevent the virus from continuing to spread in the community.

     The epidemic situation of COVID-19 in Hong Kong has undergone drastic changes recently.  Among the 108 confirmed cases announced on July 19, 83 were local cases. New cases recorded during the period from July 13 to July 19 include 351 cases without travel history during the incubation period. The recent emergence of local cases of unknown infection source indicates the existence of sustained silent transmission in the community. The latest public health risk assessment shows that the risk of a large-scale community outbreak is now the highest since the emergence of the epidemic in Hong Kong.

     According to the World Health Organization and health experts, COVID-19 would not be eradicated without effective treatment and vaccination. The Government thus is required to incorporate work in relation to disease prevention and control as well as infection management into the new normal of the daily operation of the society. To this end, the Government has all along adopted the "suppress and lift" strategy in order to quickly adjust epidemic control measures should there be inevitable small-scale community outbreaks. In view of the continued deterioration of the epidemic situation, the Government announced yesterday a series of epidemic prevention measures, including extension of the existing social distancing measures under Cap. 599F.

     A spokesman for the Food and Health Bureau said, "The detection of quite a number of local cases with unknown sources of infection over a short period of time raises an important alarm, reminding the community that members of the public must not let down their guard in terms of epidemic prevention and control."

     The spokesman added that, "In view of the latest public health risk assessment, in particular the higher risks brought about by activities conducted without wearing masks as shown in recent cases, we are of the view that it is now necessary to introduce more stringent epidemic prevention measures, and extend the social distancing measures under Cap. 599F, including imposing stringent limits on number of persons and capacity, and other infection control requirements on catering business and requiring the closure of scheduled premises."

     The requirements and restrictions under the latest directions (see Annex 1) are as follows:  

Catering business

(1) On catering business, the number of customers at any catering premises at any one time must not exceed 50 per cent of the normal seating capacity of the premises. No more than four persons may be seated together at one table within any catering premises.

(2) From 6pm to 4.59am of the subsequent day, save for specific premises (details at Annex 2), a person responsible for carrying on a catering business must cease selling or supplying food or drink for consumption on the premises of the business; and close any premises, or part of the premises, on which food or drink is sold or supplied by the business for consumption on the premises. The premises concerned may still sell or supply food and/or drink for takeaway services and deliveries.

(3) Any premises (commonly known as bar or pub) that is exclusively or mainly used for the sale or supply of intoxicating liquors as defined in section 53(1) of the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance (Cap. 109) (intoxicating liquors) for consumption in that premises must be closed. Any part of a catering premises that is exclusively or mainly used for the sale or supply of intoxicating liquors for consumption in that part must be closed.

(4) Live performance and dancing must not be allowed in any catering premises. All karaoke and mahjong-tin kau activities carried on at any catering premises must also be suspended.  Other requirements and restrictions in relation to catering business premises will be maintained.

Scheduled premises

(5) All scheduled premises set out below are required to suspend operation:

(a) Amusement game centres;
(b) Bathhouses;
(c) Fitness centres;
(d) Places of amusement;
(e) Places of public entertainment;
(f) Premises (commonly known as party rooms) that are maintained or intended to be maintained for hire for holding social gatherings;
(g) Beauty parlours;
(h) Establishments (commonly known as clubs or nightclubs) that are open late into the night, usually for drinking, and dancing or other entertainment;
(i) Karaoke establishments;
(j) Mahjong-tin kau premises; and
(k) Massage establishments (save for those under Annex 3).

(6) Save for catering premises therein, all club-houses must be closed.

     The directions issued on July 13 by the Secretary for Food and Health in accordance with Cap. 599G and Cap. 599I will continue to be effective until July 28, 2020. Group gatherings of more than four persons in public places will continue to be prohibited. A person will continue to be required to wear a mask at all times when the person is boarding or on board a public transport carrier, or is entering or present in an MTR paid area.

     "We will announce details of other epidemic prevention measures in due course. We will also continue to closely monitor the development of the epidemic situation and review the various measures in place from time to time with a view to making suitable adjustments taking into account all relevant factors." said the spokesman.

     Persons responsible for carrying on catering businesses and the managers of scheduled premises that contravene the statutory requirements under Cap. 599F would have committed a criminal offence. Offenders are subject to a maximum fine of $50,000 and imprisonment for six months. Separately, any person who participates in a prohibited group gathering; organises a prohibited group gathering; owns, controls or operates the place of such gathering; and knowingly allows the taking place of such gathering, commits an offence under Cap. 599G. Offenders are liable to a maximum fine of $25,000 and imprisonment for six months.  Persons who participate in a prohibited group gathering may discharge liability for the offence by paying a fixed penalty of $2,000. Under Cap. 599I, if a person does not wear a mask in accordance with the requirement, an authorised person may deny that person from boarding a public transport carrier or entering the area concerned, as well as require that person to wear a mask and disembark from the carrier or leave the said area. A person who contravenes the relevant provision commits an offence and the maximum penalty is a fine at level 2 ($5,000).

     The Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) today (July 20) said that an outsourced cleaning service contractor worker has preliminarily tested positive for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), while an outsourced part-time Library Materials Maintenance Assistant has tested positive.

     The outsourced cleaning worker concerned worked at Hung Hom Municipal Services Building Sports Centre in Kowloon City District. She last performed her duties on July 18. She felt unwell earlier and sought medical treatment, and was notified yesterday (July 19) that she had preliminarily tested positive for COVID-19.

     The outsourced part-time Library Materials Maintenance Assistant concerned worked in the Adult Lending Library of the Hong Kong Central Library (HKCL) in Wan Chai District and was not required to have contact with the public at work. She last performed her duties on July 12. Since she had been identified as a close contact of a confirmed case, she was sent to a quarantine centre and was tested for COVID-19. She was notified yesterday night that she had tested positive.

     The two workers concerned were admitted to hospital and have been treated under isolation. They are now in stable condition.

     Both of them have no recent travel history. They wore surgical masks when performing their duties, and their body temperatures were normal when undergoing temperature screening during work.

     The LCSD will arrange a thorough cleaning and sterilisation at Hung Hom Municipal Services Building Sports Centre and the relevant floors and all public facilities of the HKCL according to guidelines provided by the Centre for Health Protection (CHP). All facilities in the library and sports centre were temporarily closed earlier.

     The LCSD is highly concerned about the COVID-19 epidemic and will continue to maintain close liaison with the CHP. Staff are reminded to pay attention to personal hygiene and to stay vigilant. They should seek medical advice immediately if feeling unwell.