Following is the transcript of remarks by the Secretary for Security, Mr John Lee, and the Secretary for Food and Health, Professor Sophia Chan, at the media session at the Central Government Offices this afternoon (February 22):

Reporter: When will the third chartered flight be? Who will be allowed on board? When will it depart? And how many people do you expect will be able to take the flight? And secondly how would you help those in close contact with confirmed patients? Under what circumstances will they be evacuated and flown back to Hong Kong? And thirdly about the health conditions of those in Chun Yeung Estate, are there any suspected cases? Thank you.

Secretary for Security: We have arranged a third chartered flight to take the Hong Kong people who are now still on board the Diamond Princess cruise ship and who are not close contacts. The chartered flight will depart Japan at 0145 hours tomorrow morning. Our intention is to take back any Hong Kong people who are allowed to leave the ship and also leave Japan if they are not close contacts, so that they can be all taken back to Hong Kong. The information so far indicates that there will likely be around a hundred people still in Japan. On board the ship, there are 32 close contacts and there are several tens of people who are not close contacts and will be allowed to disembark the ship. Our agreement with the authorities of Japan is to arrange all those who are willing to take our chartered flight to be carried by our buses to the airport, so that they can take our chartered flight. We are appealing to all Hong Kong residents still in Japan to take our chartered flight. We do not expect that this chartered flight will take back as many passengers as the first and second chartered flights, but it is our aim to take back any (Hong Kong resident) who is allowed to leave and is not a close contact. That is why, despite the possibility of this third chartered flight not taking back a large number of people, we will not give up any chance to take back the Hong Kong people who are not close contacts and can leave Japan. 

     We also learned from the Japanese authorities that they will be moving all the people who are required to be quarantined to facilities on land. We will be monitoring this and liaising with the Japanese authorities, so that we know where the Hong Kong people will be sent to, so as to attend to their needs and take care of their special requests. The Under Secretary for Security together with a doctor from the Department of Health have been visiting some of the patients while they are staying in Japan. We will be offering any assistance that we can to those who are in need. 

Secretary for Food and Health: Let me provide some information about the Chun Yeung Estate and those people who came back last night, as well as the day before. There is a total of 208 people from two chartered flights back in Hong Kong and living in Chun Yeung Estate as the quarantine centre. They will stay there to be quarantined for 14 days. So far, the operation is smooth and they are now in the estate. The Department of Health’s people are there 24 hours a day providing medical surveillance to people living in Chun Yeung Estate. For example, every day they have to take temperature twice as well as inspecting the residents’ health condition to see whether there is any problem. 

     Yesterday, there was a nine-year-old child who had developed fever and sent to the Prince of Wales Hospital. Initial test shows negative result. Today, there is a 68-year-old person, who took the second chartered flight back and just arrived early today, also showed sign of fever and being sent to the hospital. We will continue to monitor the health condition of these people. Secretary Lee has already given you some ideas about close contacts. The Department of Health is actively exploring the different options to see how they can be taken back or being quarantined in an appropriate facility in Japan.

(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.) 

     In view of the special work arrangement for government departments to reduce the risk of spreading the COVID-19 virus in the community, the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) announced today (February 22) that the department will continue to provide members of the public with basic and limited-scale public services until further notice. The detailed arrangements are as follows:
 
(1) Counter and license application services of the EPD's regional offices will continue to be temporarily suspended. Members of the public may place the application documents in the drop-in box located at the regional offices during office hours (9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday), or submit the application online or by post. The EPD will continue to process all license applications as normal.
 
(2) Members of the public can place their applications for vehicle exhaust and noise emissions compliance/exemption with relevant documents in the drop-in box located at the EPD's office at 34/F, Revenue Tower, 5 Gloucester Road, Wan Chai during office hours (9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday). The applicants will be informed of the collection arrangement of the approved letters.

(3) Members of the public can submit their applications and submissions under the Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance to the EPD's office located at 27/F, Southorn Centre, 130 Hennessy Road, Wan Chai during office hours (9am to 12.30pm and 1.30pm to 5pm, Monday to Friday).

(4) Members of the public can submit applications for non-road mobile machinery online, and registrations and enquiries for the "Waste Cooking Oils" Scheme by email or by post. For details, please refer to the EPD website (www.epd.gov.hk).
 
(5) For the Construction Waste Disposal Charging Scheme, members of the public may call 2872 1838 for application of an account; call 2872 1854 or 2872 1856 for chits application and billing account enquiry; or email to enquiry@epd.gov.hk for both enquiries. The telephone service is adjusted as 9am to 12.30pm and 1.30pm to 3pm every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. 
 
(6) For Waste Transfer Service Accounts, members of the public may call 2872 1704 or email to rts@epd.gov.hk for enquiries.  The telephone service is adjusted as 9am to 12.30pm and 1.30pm to 5pm every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. 
 
(7) The instant call answering service of the EPD's general customer service hotline will continue to be suspended. Members of the public can make enquiries by leaving voice messages via the hotline (2838 3111) or by email (hq-hotline@epd.gov.hk).

     Details of the latest arrangements of the above services are available at the EPD website (www.epd.gov.hk).
      
     Meanwhile, the EPD will make preparations for the gradual resumption of normal services. For instance, the EPD will gradually step up inspections and investigations to accelerate the handling of enquiries and complaints. If necessary, the EPD may also arrange virtual or face-to-face meetings with contractors, consultants and the trade.
      
     Regarding the facilities, the EPD's WEEE•PARK visitor centre, T•PARK visitor centre, EcoPark visitor centre and Environmental Resource Centres will continue to be temporarily closed. Visitor and education programmes at Community Green Stations (CGS) will continue to be suspended until further notice. All CGSs remain open to collect recyclables.

     â€‹In accordance with the extension of special work arrangements for government departments, the Buildings Department (BD) announced today (February 22) that it will continue to provide emergency and essential public services as well as basic and limited-scale public services between next Monday (February 24) and March 1. The services will be mainly handling public reports on building safety and unauthorised building works in progress, critical statutory submissions for new developments, registration of building professionals and contractors, advisory services for licensing authorities and implementation of Operation Building Bright 2.0.
 
     Submission of the following applications and documents in person should be through:
      

1. A drop-in box located at G/F, Buildings Department Headquarters, North Tower, West Kowloon Government Offices, 11 Hoi Ting Road, Yau Ma Tei, Kowloon, (BD Headquarters) for collection of the specified forms and supporting documents required to be submitted under the Minor Works Control System, the Mandatory Building Inspection Scheme and the Mandatory Window Inspection Scheme, applications for registration and renewal of registration of building professionals and contractors under the Buildings Ordinance, as well as documents for compliance with statutory orders or directions issued by the BD (e.g. investigation reports, remedial works proposals, completion reports, etc.) from 10am to 4pm from Monday to Friday;
2. A tender/quotation box located at the ground floor of the BD Headquarters for receiving tender/quotation documents from 9.30am to 5.30pm from Monday to Friday; and
3. A drop-in counter located at the office of the BD’s New Buildings Division on 7/F, 14 Taikoo Wan Road, Taikoo Shing, Hong Kong for collection of applications and related documents and forms for new building works from 9.30am to 2.30pm on Tuesday and Thursday.

​
     The department will issue receipts/acknowledgements of submissions in due course. However, the handling time of the above services may be longer than usual.

     The Building Information Centre and all receipt counters, dispatch counters, general enquiry counters and meeting rooms of the BD will not be open to the public until further notice. All appointments, meetings (except meetings essential to meet statutory requirements such as Minor Works Contractor Registration Committee meetings) and inspections scheduled for the period will be rescheduled to later dates and the individuals concerned will be notified in due course.

     â€‹Emergency reports can be made on 1823. For general enquiries and reports, members of the public may call 1823 or inform the department by email (enquiry@bd.gov.hk), online reporting (eform.one.gov.hk/form/bd0001/en), fax (2537 4992) or post (North Tower, West Kowloon Government Offices, 11 Hoi Ting Road, Yau Ma Tei, Kowloon).  In addition, electronic information can be submitted to the BD via receipt@bd.gov.hk.

     A correctional officer stopped a person in custody who was committing self-harm at Stanley Prison yesterday (February 21).

     At 9.41pm yesterday, the 21-year-old male person in custody was found cutting his wrist using a ball-point pen inside the ward of the institution hospital. An officer immediately ordered him to stop the act and called for reinforcement. The person in custody was found conscious and did not need to be sent to a public hospital after receiving an examination and treatment from the institution's medical officer. A clinical psychologist of the department will follow up on the case.

     A spokesman for the Correctional Services Department said, "The department uses all possible measures to prevent persons in its custody from attempting suicide or self-harm. These measures include administrative arrangements, the improvement of institutional facilities, staff training and first aid services."

     The person in custody was sentenced to imprisonment for the offence of trafficking in a dangerous drug in June 2016.

     To align with the extension of the special work arrangements for government departments, the Home Affairs Department (HAD) announced today (February 22) the latest arrangements for its services from February 24 (Monday). The details are listed below.

     The Home Affairs Enquiry Centres (HAECs) (except for the Sham Shui Po HAEC, which closed earlier for maintenance works) will be open between 10am and 5pm from Monday to Friday (between 10am and 5pm on Monday, Wednesday and Friday only for the HAEC in Mui Wo). The service to administer declarations or oaths/affirmations for private use will be available.
　
     The hotline (2835 1535) and service counter of the Estate Beneficiaries Support Unit will operate from 10am to 1pm and 2pm to 5pm from Monday to Friday.

     The services provided by the Office of the Licensing Authority will return to normal.

     The multi-purpose halls of all community halls and community centres will be reopened to organisations with approved bookings from February 25 (Tuesday). However, there will be limits on the number of participants for activities to be held in order to ensure that appropriate social distancing can be maintained among them.
　　
     For enquiries, please call the HAD's enquiry hotline at 2835 2500 between 10am and 5pm from Monday to Friday.