Author Archives: hksar gov

     A 56-year-old man was sentenced to immediate imprisonment for six weeks by the Shatin Magistrates’ Courts today (June 17) for violating the Compulsory Quarantine of Certain Persons Arriving at Hong Kong Regulation (Cap. 599C).
 
     The man was earlier issued a compulsory quarantine order stating that he must conduct quarantine at home for 14 days. When the Police were deployed at a restaurant inside a shopping arcade on March 28 upon receipt of report, he was found to have left the place of quarantine without reasonable excuse nor permission given by an authorised officer before the expiry of the quarantine order. Further investigation revealed that the man had also left the place of quarantine on March 27. He was charged with two counts of contravening sections 8(1) and 8(5) of the Regulation. He was sentenced by the Shatin Magistrates’ Courts today to immediate imprisonment for six weeks for each of the two charges, which are to run concurrently.
 
     Pursuant to the Regulation, save for exempted persons, all persons who have stayed in the Mainland, Macao or Taiwan in the 14 days preceding arrival in Hong Kong, regardless of their nationality or travel documents, will be subject to compulsory quarantine for 14 days. Moreover, pursuant to the Compulsory Quarantine of Persons Arriving at Hong Kong from Foreign Places Regulation (Cap. 599E), starting from March 19, all persons arriving from countries or territories outside China would also be subject to compulsory quarantine for 14 days. Breaching a quarantine order is a criminal offence and offenders are subject to a maximum fine of $25,000 and imprisonment for six months. The Department of Health (DH) solemnly reminds persons under quarantine to comply with the statutory requirements and conduct quarantine for 14 days.
 
     A spokesman for the DH said the sentence sends a clear message to the community that breaching a quarantine order is a criminal offence and that the Government will not tolerate such actions. As of today (June 17), a total of 20 persons have been convicted by the Court with imprisonment sentence up to three months or a fine of HK$10,000. The spokesman reiterated that resolute actions will be taken against anyone who has breached a quarantine order. read more

The following is issued on behalf of the Legislative Council Secretariat:      The Legislative Council (LegCo) meeting was adjourned today (June 17) due to the lack of a quorum. The President of LegCo has, in accordance with Rule… read more

     Police today (June 17) appealed to the public for information on a man who went missing in Mong Kok.      Wong Ka-hing, aged 68, went missing after he left his hostel on Ivy Street on June 15 mo… read more

     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health is today (June 17) investigating two suspected food poisoning clusters affecting four persons, and reminded the public to maintain personal, food and envir… read more

     Four women and a man were charged with contravening the Hotel and Guesthouse Accommodation Ordinance at the Kowloon City Magistrates’ Courts and the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts today (June 17). Three of the women were fined $20,000 to $40,000, while the other woman was fined $14,000 for two charges and also fined $300 for the period in which the offences continued, and the man was fined $4,000 and also fined $300 for the period in which the offence continued. 
           
     The courts heard that between August and November last year, officers of the Office of the Licensing Authority (OLA), the Home Affairs Department, inspected five suspected unlicensed guesthouses on Castle Peak Road and Wah Yuen Drive in Kwai Chung, Portland Street in Mong Kok, Tai Nan Street in Sham Shui Po and Hoi Ting Road in Tai Kok Tsui. During the inspections, the OLA officers posed as lodgers and successfully rented rooms in these guesthouses on a daily basis.
           
     According to the OLA’s records, these guesthouses did not possess licences under the Ordinance on the days of inspection. The women and the man responsible for operating and managing the premises were charged with contravening section 5(1) of the Ordinance.
           
     A department spokesman stressed that operating or managing an unlicensed guesthouse is a criminal offence and can lead to a criminal record. Upon conviction, the offender is liable to a maximum fine of $200,000 and two years’ imprisonment.
                
     The spokesman appealed to anyone with information about suspected unlicensed guesthouses to report it to the OLA through the hotline (Tel: 2881 7498), by email (hadlaenq@had.gov.hk), by fax (2504 5805) using the report form downloaded from the OLA website (www.hadla.gov.hk), or through the mobile application “Hong Kong Licensed Hotels and Guesthouses”. read more