Tag Archives: China

     The Secretary for Security, Mr Tang Ping-keung, today (April 3) led colleagues of the Security Bureau (SB), heads of the disciplined services and auxiliary services departments and their colleagues, representatives of the Independent Police Complaints Council as well as leaders and representatives of youth uniformed groups of various disciplined services departments to distribute anti-epidemic service bags to residents in Sham Shui Po, appealing them to fight the virus together.

     Joining the distribution included the Permanent Secretary for Security, Ms Carol Yip, and the Under Secretary for Security, Mr Sonny Au.

     The team, divided into nine groups, set off from the Sham Shui Po Police Station this morning. In the company of the District Officer (Sham Shui Po), Mr Paul Wong, the team distributed anti-epidemic service bags to residents in Sham Shui Po area door to door. Mr Tang encouraged them to make good use of the items and to enhance personal protection in a bid to win the anti-epidemic battle.

     Mr Tang thanked all participants for sparing no effort in participating in anti-epidemic work, which fully demonstrated the spirit of fighting the epidemic in one heart. He also presented the SB Anti-epidemic Task Force vests and jigsaw puzzles featuring large-scale community isolation facilities constructed with Mainland support to leaders of the youth uniformed groups as a token of thanks for their support in today’s activity.

     The Government started distributing anti-epidemic service bags in 18 districts in Hong Kong yesterday (April 2) and the distribution is expected to be completed in seven days. Several distribution points are set up in each district by the Government for people who cannot receive anti-epidemic service bags to pick up onsite to fill the service gap.

            

     The Government yesterday (April 2) exercised the power under the Prevention and Control of Disease (Compulsory Testing for Certain Persons) Regulation (Cap. 599J) to make a “restriction-testing declaration” effective from 3pm yesterday, under which people (hereafter referred to as “persons subject to compulsory testing”) within the specified “restricted area” in Tsing Yi (i.e. Hong Wing House, Cheung Hong Estate, Tsing Yi, excluding non-domestic units on G/F) were required to stay in their premises and undergo compulsory testing. Persons subject to compulsory testing were required to stay in their premises until all such persons identified in the “restricted area” had undergone testing and the test results were mostly ascertained. All persons in the “restricted area” who have tested positive in the past three months, including positive cases identified either by nucleic acid tests recorded by the Department of Health (DH) or by rapid antigen tests that have been self-declared to the DH, were not required to undergo testing in this compulsory testing exercise.

     Moreover, the Government issued a compulsory testing notice yesterday, requiring persons, other than those specified above, who had been present at the above building for more than two hours from March 20 to April 2, 2022, even if they were not present in the “restricted area” at the time when the declaration took effect, to undergo compulsory testing on or before April 4, 2022.

     The Government announced the completion of the compulsory testing exercise at around 10.30am today (April 3) and carried out enforcement action in the “restricted area” afterwards to verify that all people in the “restricted area” had undergone compulsory testing in accordance with the requirements of the relevant declaration and compulsory testing notice. The Government announced that the enforcement operation ended at around 1pm today.

     Staff taking part in this exercise mainly came from the Civil Service Bureau (CSB) to arrange for implementation of the declaration and enforcement actions for breaches of the compulsory testing notice issued earlier.

     The Government provided food packs for persons subject to compulsory testing to facilitate their meal arrangements. Anti-epidemic proprietary Chinese medicines donated by the Central People’s Government and rapid antigen test kits were also distributed to persons subject to compulsory testing to help them fight against the virus. The CSB also set up a hotline for people restricted by the declaration to make enquiries and seek assistance.

     The Government thanks persons subject to compulsory testing for their support and understanding. With everyone’s co-operation and efforts, coupled with the tireless efforts of the testing contractors, residents have been informed about their testing results by SMS notification. After finishing the compulsory testing exercise at around 10.30am today, the Government took enforcement action in the “restricted area” immediately to verify that all people in the “restricted area” had undergone testing according to the requirements of the declaration and the compulsory testing notice. Persons who could present an SMS notification containing a negative testing result or wore a wristband as proof of having undergone the compulsory testing could leave the “restricted area” through the designated exit after providing personal information to a prescribed officer. The enforcement operation was completed at around 1pm. Test records of 280 persons subject to compulsory testing were checked. Fourteen persons were found not having undergone compulsory testing and compulsory testing orders were issued to them. Taking into account the above situation, the Secretary for Food and Health revoked the “restriction-testing declaration” in accordance with Cap. 599J (see attachment).

     The Government reminds the about 30 households who have not answered the door to contact the Government for arrangement of testing as soon as possible after reading the notices put up by the Government, in the hope of eliminating the possible risk of further spread of the virus in the community.

     The Government thanks all participating government staff and the testing agencies for their hard work. The Government is also grateful to those subject to compulsory testing for their support and understanding, and their full co-operation during this period in undergoing testing and waiting for the results at home.

     The Government will seriously follow up on the compliance situation of the compulsory testing notices and the “restriction-testing declaration” by persons subject to compulsory testing. Any person who fails to comply with the compulsory testing notices commits an offence and may be liable to a fixed penalty of $10,000. The person will also be issued with a compulsory testing order, requiring him or her to undergo testing within a specified time frame. Failure to comply with the order or the “restriction-testing declaration” is an offence and the offender may be liable to a fine of level 5 ($50,000) and imprisonment for six months. read more

     The Secretary for the Environment, Mr Wong Kam-sing; and the Permanent Secretary for the Environment/Director of Environmental Protection, Miss Janice Tse, together with about 30 staff members from the Environment Bureau (ENB) and the Environmental Protection Department (EPD), participated in the distribution of anti-epidemic service bags this morning (April 3), delivering anti-epidemic supplies to the grassroots residents of two single-block buildings in Kwai Tsing District. They urged all residents to test themselves for COVID-19 using rapid antigen test (RAT) kits everyday between April 8 and 10 and report a positive result.
      
     Mr Wong said, “The Government has started distributing the anti-epidemic service bags to all households in Hong Kong starting from yesterday. Staff members of various grades from the ENB and the EPD also formed an anti-epidemic team and distributed the service bags to the households of two single-block buildings in Kwai Tsing District through door-to-door visits, so as to enhance residents’ anti-epidemic awareness and strengthen their capacity in guarding against the epidemic. The provision of RAT kits inside the service bags enables the public to screen themselves everyday between April 8 and 10 and then report any positive results to the authorities.”
      
     The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government arranged the packaging work for 3.5 million anti-epidemic service bags in three consecutive days. About 100 ENB and EPD staff also took part in it and completed the packing of about 18 000 anti-epidemic service bags in one and a half days, taking half the time of original schedule. Items inside the service bags are mainly anti-epidemic supplies from the Central Government, showing the motherland’s care and support for Hong Kong people. Each service pack contains 20 RAT kits, 20 KN95 masks, two boxes of anti-epidemic proprietary Chinese medicines, as well as an anti-epidemic handbook and a message card produced by the HKSAR Government. The distribution of service bags is targeted to be completed within seven days.
      
     “The sewage test data objectively shows the per capita viral load in Hong Kong. According to the data, the current epidemic situation in Hong Kong still stays at a high plateau with a fluctuating trend and risk of rebound. Everyone should continue to maintain social distancing, make good use of the KN95 masks and respond to the Government’s urge to conduct timely testing with the RAT kits. At the same time, we thank the Central Government for providing sufficient anti-epidemic supplies to Hong Kong citizens. As long as all members of the public are united in fighting the virus, Hong Kong will definitely win out over the epidemic,” Mr Wong added.
      
     Mr Wong also thanked colleagues of ENB and EPD for providing their full dedication in their anti-epidemic work of sewage testing, “restriction-testing declaration” operations, as well as the packing and distribution of anti-epidemic service bags. read more

     The Secretary for Food and Health, Professor Sophia Chan, joined volunteers to distribute anti-epidemic service bags to residents at Kwong Yuen Estate in Sha Tin today (April 3). She expressed the hope that the distribution of service bags would help enhance people’s anti-epidemic awareness and ability.

     Professor Chan said, “There are medical supplies of proprietary Chinese medicines (pCms), KN95 masks and rapid antigen test (RAT) kits in the anti-epidemic service bags. I encourage members of the public, in particular the elderly, to make good use of RAT kits for self-testing at home. That will help us to achieve the goal of early identification and early isolation as well as to provide timely appropriate treatment for those who test positive.

     “I am grateful for the support of the Central Government in making donations and assisting the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government in the procurement of anti-epidemic pCms, so that we can widely distribute the pCms, which are welcomed by the citizens. As for the KN95 masks, people can use them when going to high-risk and crowded places to better protect themselves.

     “In addition, an information pamphlet produced by the Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health is also included in the anti-epidemic service bags. I hope members of the public will go over the anti-epidemic tips, with a view to raising their awareness on prevention against the epidemic.”

     Professor Chan also took the opportunity of distribution of service bags to remind residents on continuing their strict adherence to various anti-epidemic and social distancing measures.

     “During the coming Ching Ming Festival and Easter holidays, members of the public should avoid going out and joining cross-family activities, especially mask-off occasions. I am confident that with the staunch support of the Central Government and the co-operation of the general public in complying with the various anti-epidemic measures of the HKSAR Government, we will be able to win the battle against the epidemic soon.”

    

     The Government yesterday (April 2) exercised the power under the Prevention and Control of Disease (Compulsory Testing for Certain Persons) Regulation (Cap. 599J) to make a “restriction-testing declaration” effective from 3pm yesterday, under which people (hereafter referred to as “persons subject to compulsory testing”) within the specified “restricted area” in Kowloon Bay (i.e. Block 9, Richland Gardens, Kowloon Bay, excluding Richland Gardens Management Office) were required to stay in their premises and undergo compulsory testing. Persons subject to compulsory testing were required to stay in their premises until all such persons identified in the “restricted area” had undergone testing and the test results were mostly ascertained. All persons in the “restricted area” who have tested positive in the past three months, including positive cases identified either by nucleic acid tests recorded by the Department of Health (DH) or by rapid antigen tests that have been self-declared to the DH, were not required to undergo testing in this compulsory testing exercise.

     Moreover, the Government issued a compulsory testing notice yesterday to any persons, other than those specified above, who had been present at the above building for more than two hours from March 20 to April 2, 2022, even if they were not present in the “restricted area” at the time when the declaration took effect, to undergo compulsory testing on or before April 4, 2022.

     The Government announced the completion of the compulsory testing exercise at around 10am today (April 3) and carried out enforcement action in the “restricted area” afterwards to verify that all people in the “restricted area” had undergone compulsory testing in accordance with the requirements of the relevant declaration and compulsory testing notice. The Government announced that the enforcement operation ended at around 11am today.

     The Government provided food packs for persons subject to compulsory testing to facilitate their meal arrangements. Anti-epidemic proprietary Chinese medicines donated by the Central Government and rapid antigen test kits were also distributed to persons subject to compulsory testing to help them fight against the virus. The Social Welfare Department also set up a hotline for people restricted by the declaration to make enquiries and seek assistance.

     The Government thanks persons subject to compulsory testing for their support and understanding. With everyone’s co-operation and efforts, coupled with the tireless efforts of the testing contractors, residents have been informed about their testing results by SMS notification. After finishing the compulsory testing exercise at around 10am today, the Government took enforcement action in the “restricted area” immediately to verify that all people in the “restricted area” had undergone testing according to the requirements of the declaration and the compulsory testing notice. Persons who could present an SMS notification containing a negative testing result or wore a wristband as proof of having undergone the compulsory testing could leave the “restricted area” through the designated exit after providing personal information to a prescribed officer. The enforcement operation was completed at around 11am. Test records of 74 persons subject to compulsory testing were checked. None were found not having undergone compulsory testing. Taking into account the above situation, the Secretary for Food and Health revoked the “restriction-testing declaration” in accordance with Cap. 599J (see attachment).

     The Government reminds the 32 households who have not answered the door to contact the Government for arrangement of testing as soon as possible after reading the notices put up by the Government, in the hope of eliminating the possible risk of further spread of the virus in the community.

     The Government thanks all participating government staff and the testing agencies for their hard work. The Government is also grateful to those subject to compulsory testing for their support and understanding, and their full co-operation during this period in undergoing testing and waiting for the results at home.

     The Government will seriously follow up on the compliance situation of the compulsory testing notices and the “restriction-testing declaration” by persons subject to compulsory testing. Any person who fails to comply with the compulsory testing notices commits an offence and may be liable to a fixed penalty of $10,000. The person will also be issued with a compulsory testing order, requiring him or her to undergo testing within a specified time frame. Failure to comply with the order or the “restriction-testing declaration” is an offence and the offender may be liable to a fine of level 5 ($50,000) and imprisonment for six months. read more