The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) has announced that as of 4pm today (July 17), the CHP was investigating 58 additional confirmed cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), taking the number of cases to 1 714 in Hong Kong so far (comprising 1 713 confirmed cases and one probable case).
 
     The newly reported cases announced today involve 24 males and 34 females aged between six and 92 years. Among them, eight had travel history during the incubation period.
 
     As for the local cases, as the 1 700th case involved a resident of a residential care home for the elderly (RCHE), namely Tung Wah Group of Hospitals Jockey Club Harmony Villa in Wong Chuk Hang, and the 1 691st case and the 1 708th case involved two staff members of the RCHE, residents and staff of the RCHE who were identified as close contacts will be required to undergo quarantine. Noting that residents of the RCHE might have special care needs, the DH staff conducted a site visit with personnel from the Hospital Authority (HA) to determine if the environment of the RCHE is suitable for on-site quarantine of residents.
 
     Upon joint inspection by infection control experts of the DH and personnel from HA , it is considered that the RCHE has implemented infection control measures and can provide suitable environment for residents who were identified as close contacts for on-site quarantine at specific areas in the RCHE. Staff members of the RCHE who were identified as close contacts will be arranged to quarantine centre for quarantine.
 
     The Government will closely monitor the infection control work of the RCHE and personnel will visit the RCHE to remind its staff members to follow the Guidelines for Residential Care Homes for the Elderly or Persons with Disabilities for the Prevention of COVID-19 issued by the CHP. Advice and trainings will be provided to its staff members based on the on-site environmental assessment at the RCHE to ensure a safe quarantine arrangement.
 
      As for the local cases, the CHP will distribute deep throat saliva specimen bottles to residents of buildings where the patients live, as well as to those with whom they might have had contact during the infectious period. However, as there are recently a large number of confirmed cases, the relevant testing capacity remained limited even though the DH has earlier procured testing services directly from local private laboratories to enhance public testing capacity. Hence, the CHP will, based on risk assessment, accord priority to people with higher risk (for example, those who live in buildings with more than one unit with confirmed cases of unknown source) when distributing specimen bottles for testing. People are also urged to seek medical attention early even if mild symptoms develop to help prevent the spread of the disease in the community.
 
     The CHP's epidemiological investigations and relevant contact tracing on the confirmed cases are ongoing. For case details and contact tracing information, please see the Annex.
 
     In view of the severe epidemic situation, the CHP called on members of the public to avoid going out, having social contact and dining out. They should put on a surgical mask and maintain stringent hand hygiene when they need to go out. As a number of recent cases involve elderly people, the CHP strongly urged the elderly to stay home as far as possible and avoid going out. They should consider asking their family and friends to help with every day tasks such as shopping for basic necessities.
 
     A spokesman for the CHP said, "Given that the situation of COVID-19 infection remains severe and that there is a continuous increase in the number of cases reported around the world, members of the public are strongly urged to avoid all non-essential travel outside Hong Kong.
 
     "The CHP also strongly urges the public to maintain at all times strict personal and environmental hygiene, which is key to personal protection against infection and prevention of the spread of the disease in the community. On a personal level, members of the public should wear a surgical mask when having respiratory symptoms, taking public transport or staying in crowded places. They should also perform hand hygiene frequently, especially before touching the mouth, nose or eyes.
   
     "As for household environmental hygiene, members of the public are advised to maintain drainage pipes properly, regularly pour water into drain outlets (U-traps) and cover all floor drain outlets when they are not in use. After using the toilet, they should put the toilet lid down before flushing to avoid spreading germs."
 
     Moreover, the Government has launched the website "COVID-19 Thematic Website" (www.coronavirus.gov.hk) for announcing the latest updates on various news on COVID-19 infection and health advice to help the public understand the latest updates. Members of the public may also gain access to information via the COVID-19 WhatsApp Helpline launched by the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer. Simply by saving 9617 1823 in their phone contacts or clicking the link wa.me/85296171823?text=hi, they will be able to obtain information on COVID-19 as well as the "StayHomeSafe" mobile app and wristband via WhatsApp.
 
     To prevent pneumonia and respiratory tract infection, members of the public should always maintain good personal and environmental hygiene. They are advised to:
 
• Wear a surgical mask when taking public transport or staying in crowded places. It is important to wear a mask properly, including performing hand hygiene before wearing and after removing a mask;
• Perform hand hygiene frequently, especially before touching the mouth, nose or eyes, after touching public installations such as handrails or doorknobs, or when hands are contaminated by respiratory secretions after coughing or sneezing;
• Maintain drainage pipes properly and regularly (about once a week) pour about half a litre of water into each drain outlet (U-trap) to ensure environmental hygiene;
• Cover all floor drain outlets when they are not in use;
• After using the toilet, put the toilet lid down before flushing to avoid spreading germs;
• Wash hands with liquid soap and water, and rub for at least 20 seconds. Then rinse with water and dry with a disposable paper towel. If hand washing facilities are not available, or when hands are not visibly soiled, performing hand hygiene with 70 to 80 per cent alcohol-based handrub is an effective alternative;
• Cover your mouth and nose with tissue paper when sneezing or coughing. Dispose of soiled tissues into a lidded rubbish bin, then wash hands thoroughly; and
• When having respiratory symptoms, wear a surgical mask, refrain from work or attending class at school, avoid going to crowded places and seek medical advice promptly.
 

     A spokesman for the Civil Service Bureau (CSB) said today (July 17) that the Government strives to safeguard the health and safety of its staff under the epidemic. The CSB has today reminded bureaux and departments again that they should handle the work arrangements for their staff with flexibility while maintaining the provision of public services.

     Upon the issue of the guidelines to bureaux and departments earlier on, the CSB has been liaising with them closely with regard to the implementation of the measures. Today, the CSB supplemented the guidelines with measures already adopted by individual departments for the reference of bureaux and departments as they implement arrangements for infection control and social distancing. For example: 
 
(a) Departments may consider staggering work and lunch hours to the widest extent possible so that more staff members can avoid the morning and evening peak hours and have lunch outside the usual lunch hour.
 
(b) For those units in a department providing essential public services and functions, the department may consider splitting the staff members into two teams which may then take turns to work from home, such that in the unfortunate event of a confirmed case of a member of one of the teams, it will not bring the entire operation to a halt.
 
(c) Departments may consider allowing their staff members who have taken the COVID-19 test to work from home while waiting for the test results.
 
(d) Departments may, with regard to the situation on the ground, consider making special arrangement to allow their pregnant staff members to work from home during this period.

     The government has all along been striving to safeguard the health and safety of its staff while providing services to members of the public. In fact, during the implementation of the special work arrangement early this year, most of the disciplined services staff and other frontline staff continued to work as usual to maintain public services and the normal operation of their departments as well as fighting the epidemic, so that the public would not be seriously affected.

     The Immigration Department (ImmD) said that as notified by Centre for Health Protection (CHP) this late afternoon (July 17), a member of the public who arrived at West Kowloon Smart Identity Card Replacement Centre (West Kowloon Replacement Centre) for replacement of identity card at about 10am on July 14 was tested positive for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). According to the assessment of CHP, as the person concerned had stayed at West Kowloon Replacement Centre for a relatively short period of time, the staff who handled the relevant case as well as others were not close contacts.
      
     In consideration of public health and hygiene, West Kowloon Replacement Centre was closed immediately for thorough cleaning and disinfection. Services will be resumed tomorrow (July 18).  Members of the public who have appointments at West Kowloon Replacement Centre tonight may consider proceeding to the replacement centre in the days ahead, or the other eight replacement centres for replacement of identity cards without the need to make another appointment.  The other eight replacement centres will operate until 10pm tonight as normal. Their addresses and telephone numbers are as follows:
 

      
     During the situation of COVID-19 infection, the ImmD has been strictly implementing various disease prevention measures, including measuring the body temperature of ImmD staff before commencing duties, providing masks and other protective equipment, requiring employees to wear masks when performing duties, and stepping up the cleaning and sterilising measures of the working environment. Meanwhile, body temperature checking system and disinfection facilities are in place, and counter protective shields have been installed at the nine replacement centres to protect members of the public for replacement of identity cards.

     A Government spokesman said today (July 17) that the objective of the Government in providing COVID-19 testing services free-of-charge is to encourage members of the public with symptoms to take the test as early as possible. Through early detection and diagnosis of infected persons in the community, coupled with community surveillance for COVID-19, we strive to break the chain of infection as early as possible in order to safeguard public health. The COVID-19 testing services currently provided free-of-charge by the Department of Health and the Hospital Authority cover patients attending the Accident and Emergency Departments of public hospitals, General Out-patient Clinics, public hospitals and private clinics. The Government also arranged testing through private organisations for persons in high-risk and high-exposure groups.
          
     "The Government is committed to enhancing the COVID-19 testing capacity in the public sector. Testing for around 13 000 specimens was completed yesterday (July 16) alone, and the community surveillance arrangement for high-risk and high-exposure groups has already commenced in stages. If a sample tests positive, the Government will notify the person concerned as early as possible and arrange for admission to a public hospital for treatment. If the test result is negative, no certificate of negative result will be given to the person concerned. Likewise, private organisations that carry out community surveillance will not issue certificate of negative result to the person concerned for general or specific purposes," the spokesman said.
          
     The spokesman stressed that if members of the public need to take a COVID-19 test for personal reasons in order to obtain a relevant test result for private use, including immigration purposes, they should arrange testing services on their own. Persons who wish to enter Guangdong should arrange a COVID-19 test with testing institutions recognised by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, as listed in the Annex.
          
     The spokesman reiterated that given the severe situation of the epidemic, members of the public should maintain good personal and environmental hygiene as well as an appropriate social distance with other people as far as possible in their daily lives. Members of the public are advised to seek medical advice promptly when feeling unwell. If suspected of being infected, they should proactively make a request to a doctor for testing with a view to achieving early identification, early isolation and early treatment.

     A man was sentenced to 11 months imprisonment today (July 17) at the District Court following earlier conviction for importing and possessing for trade counterfeit mobile phones, in contravention of the Trade Descriptions Ordinance (TDO).

     Hong Kong Customs respectively intercepted a batch of counterfeit mobile phones returned from Singapore and imported from Singapore in October 2017. Subsequently, a man collecting the consignments was arrested and a batch of counterfeit mobile phones was further seized in his premises. Customs seized a total of 668 numbers of counterfeit mobile phones in the case.

     Customs welcomes the sentence. The custodial sentence imposed a considerable deterrent effect and delivered a clear warning to importing and exporting counterfeit items as well as possessing counterfeit items for trade purpose. It also reflected the seriousness of the relevant offences.

     Under the TDO, any person who imports or exports, or possesses for trade, any goods with a forged trade mark commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $500,000 and imprisonment for five years.

     Members of the public may report any suspected counterfeiting activities to Customs' 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk).