The Government today (February 9) 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 7.30pm, under which people (hereafter referred to as "persons subject to compulsory testing") within the specified "restricted area" in Yuen Long (i.e. Fung Ping House, Long Ping Estate, Yuen Long, excluding Long Ping Estate Sing Yan Kindergarten on G/F. See Annex) are required to stay in their premises and undergo compulsory testing. Persons subject to compulsory testing are required to stay in their premises until all such persons identified in the "restricted area" have undergone testing and the test results are mostly ascertained. The Government aims at finishing this exercise at about noon tomorrow (February 10).
 
     A Government spokesman said, "Under Cap. 599J, the Government can, according to the needs of infection control, make a 'restriction-testing declaration'. As the sewage discharged from the above building was tested positive for COVID-19, it is suspected that there are asymptomatic patients in the building. Given the risk of infection in the relevant area is assessed to be likely higher, the Government decided to make a 'restriction-testing declaration' for the relevant area."
 
     The Government will set up temporary specimen collection stations at the "restricted area" and request persons subject to compulsory testing to undergo testing before 1am tomorrow. Arrangements will be made for persons subject to compulsory testing to undergo a nucleic acid test at specimen collection stations where dedicated staff will collect samples through combined nasal and throat swabs. Persons subject to compulsory testing must stay at their place of residence until all test results are ascertained to avoid cross-infection risk. The Government will arrange for door-to-door specimen collection for people with impaired mobility and elderly persons.
 
     The Government spokesman said, "We understand that this exercise will cause inconvenience to the public. The Government has made arrangements to carry out testing for all persons present in the 'restricted area' as soon as possible. The aim is to strive to complete testing of all identified persons subject to compulsory testing and confirm the results, and finish the exercise at around noon tomorrow. The Government will make a public announcement when the declaration expires officially. In the cases in which employees are unable to go to work because of the declaration, the Government hopes their employers can exercise discretion and not deduct the salaries or benefits of the employees."
 
     If staying in the "restricted area" will cause unreasonable hardship to individuals who are not residents in the area when the declaration takes effect, government officers may exercise discretion and allow that person to leave the area after considering the individual circumstances. That person must have followed the instructions to undergo testing and leave his/her personal information for contact purposes.
 
     According to the compulsory testing notice to be issued today, any person who had been present at the above building for more than two hours from January 27 to February 9, 2022, even if they were not present in the "restricted area" at the time when the declaration took effect, must undergo compulsory testing on or before February 11, 2022. As a mutant strain is involved, for prudence's sake, vaccinated persons and persons who have recently been tested are also required to undergo testing.
 
     The Government appeals to persons subject to compulsory testing for their full co-operation by registering and undergoing testing, and waiting for the results patiently at home. The Government will strictly follow up on whether the persons concerned have complied with the compulsory testing notices and "restriction-testing declaration". Any person who fails to comply with the compulsory testing notices commits an offence and may be fined a fixed penalty of $5,000. The person would 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 compulsory testing order or the "restriction-testing declaration" is an offence and the offender would be liable to a fine at level 4 ($25,000) and imprisonment for six months.

     The Government today (February 9) 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 7.30pm, under which people (hereafter referred to as "persons subject to compulsory testing") within the specified "restricted area" in Yuen Long (i.e. Cheuk Ping House, Long Ping Estate, Yuen Long. See Annex) are required to stay in their premises and undergo compulsory testing. Persons subject to compulsory testing are required to stay in their premises until all such persons identified in the "restricted area" have undergone testing and the test results are mostly ascertained. The Government aims at finishing this exercise at about noon tomorrow (February 10).
 
     A Government spokesman said, "Under Cap. 599J, the Government can, according to the needs of infection control, make a 'restriction-testing declaration'. As the sewage discharged from the above building was tested positive for COVID-19, it is suspected that there are asymptomatic patients in the building. Given the risk of infection in the relevant area is assessed to be likely higher, the Government decided to make a 'restriction-testing declaration' for the relevant area."
 
     The Government will set up temporary specimen collection stations at the "restricted area" and request persons subject to compulsory testing to undergo testing before 1am tomorrow. Arrangements will be made for persons subject to compulsory testing to undergo a nucleic acid test at specimen collection stations where dedicated staff will collect samples through combined nasal and throat swabs. Persons subject to compulsory testing must stay at their place of residence until all test results are ascertained to avoid cross-infection risk. The Government will arrange for door-to-door specimen collection for people with impaired mobility and elderly persons.
 
     The Government spokesman said, "We understand that this exercise will cause inconvenience to the public. The Government has made arrangements to carry out testing for all persons present in the 'restricted area' as soon as possible. The aim is to strive to complete testing of all identified persons subject to compulsory testing and confirm the results, and finish the exercise at around noon tomorrow. The Government will make a public announcement when the declaration expires officially. In the cases in which employees are unable to go to work because of the declaration, the Government hopes their employers can exercise discretion and not deduct the salaries or benefits of the employees."
 
    If staying in the "restricted area" will cause unreasonable hardship to individuals who are not residents in the area when the declaration takes effect, government officers may exercise discretion and allow that person to leave the area after considering the individual circumstances. That person must have followed the instructions to undergo testing and leave his/her personal information for contact purposes.
 
     According to the compulsory testing notice to be issued today, any person who had been present at the above building for more than two hours from January 27 to February 9, 2022, even if they were not present in the "restricted area" at the time when the declaration took effect, must undergo compulsory testing on or before February 11, 2022. As a mutant strain is involved, for prudence's sake, vaccinated persons and persons who have recently been tested are also required to undergo testing.

     The Government appeals to persons subject to compulsory testing for their full co-operation by registering and undergoing testing, and waiting for the results patiently at home. The Government will strictly follow up on whether the persons concerned have complied with the compulsory testing notices and "restriction-testing declaration". Any person who fails to comply with the compulsory testing notices commits an offence and may be fined a fixed penalty of $5,000. The person would 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 compulsory testing order or the "restriction-testing declaration" is an offence and the offender would be liable to a fine at level 4 ($25,000) and imprisonment for six months.

     A spokesman for the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) today (February 9) said that two health inspectors, an environmental nuisance investigator and two workmen of the FEHD have tested preliminarily positive for COVID-19. They work at Trade Square, Cheung Sha Wan Road; Sheung Shui Slaughterhouse; Skyline Tower, Wang Kwong Road; Peng Chau Municipal Services Building, and FEHD Nam Cheong Offices and Vehicle Depot respectively.

     The above-mentioned staff members wore masks and followed relevant disease prevention measures at work. The FEHD has conducted cleaning and disinfection work at the relevant workplaces and in their vicinities in accordance with the Centre of Health Protection (CHP)'s advice. The FEHD is arranging the co-workers of the staff members concerned to undergo COVID-19 testing. The FEHD will continue to maintain close communication with the CHP and will fully co-operate to trace the close contacts concerned. Also, arrangements on staff deployment will be made to ensure that relevant services are not affected.

     The FEHD has been strictly implementing disease prevention measures during the epidemic. Staff members are reminded to pay attention to personal hygiene and to stay vigilant. They should seek medical advice immediately if feeling unwell.

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority.

     The spokesman for Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital (PYNEH) made the following announcement today (February 9):
 
     An 89-year-old male patient in a medical ward of PYNEH was confirmed to be a Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci (VRE) carrier on January 28. In accordance with the prevailing infection control guidelines, the hospital commenced contact tracing. Four more male patients (aged 82 to 91) were confirmed to be VRE carriers but without clinical symptoms. Among the patients, two patients have been transferred to Tung Wah Eastern Hospital (TWEH) and the other three patients are being treated under isolation in the hospital and are in stable condition.
 
     Following the activation of the Emergency Response Level in public hospitals, visiting arrangements have been suspended. The following enhanced infection control measures have been stepped up at the ward concerned according to established guidelines:
 
1. Enhanced hand hygiene and stringent contact precautions;
2. Enhanced attention to contamination-prone procedures;
3. Enhanced disinfection and cleaning of the concerned ward; and
4. Enhanced patient and environmental screening procedures.
 
     PYNEH will continue to closely monitor the situation of the ward. The cases have been reported to the Hospital Authority Head Office and the Centre for Health Protection for necessary follow-up.
 

     The Expert Committee on Clinical Events Assessment Following COVID-19 Immunisation, set up under the Department of Health (DH) to provide independent assessment on the potential causal link between Adverse Events Following Immunisation (AEFIs) and COVID-19 vaccination, convened a meeting today (February 9) to assess serious adverse events relating to COVID-19 vaccination.
 
     According to the World Health Organization, an AEFI is any medical occurrence that follows immunisation and that does not necessarily have a causal relationship with the usage of the vaccine. The DH has put in place a pharmacovigilance system for COVID-19 immunisation, and is partnering with the University of Hong Kong to conduct an active surveillance programme for Adverse Events of Special Interest (AESI) under the COVID-19 Vaccines Adverse Events Response and Evaluation Programme. The main purpose of the pharmacovigilance system is to detect potential signals of possible side effects of the vaccines.
 
     As of January 31, a total of 14 197 cases had tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus in Hong Kong, of which 213 died. Separately, about 11.13 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines had been administered for members of the public in Hong Kong. Around 5.36 million people had received at least one vaccine dose. In the same period, the DH received 6 894 reports of adverse events (0.06 per cent of the total vaccine doses administered), including 64 death cases with vaccination within 14 days before they passed away (0.0006 per cent of the total vaccine doses administered).
 
     So far, the Expert Committee has assessed the 64 death cases and concluded that 48 death cases had no causal relationship with vaccination, and preliminarily considered that 14 cases were not associated with vaccination. Two cases are still pending further information for assessment. The Expert Committee considered there is no unusual pattern identified so far, and it will continue to closely monitor the situation and collect data for assessment.
 
     According to the local mortality data, among people aged 30 or above, there were 3 856 deaths (i.e. 70.5 per 100 000 population) and 6 546 deaths (i.e. 119.6 per 100 000 population) due to ischaemic heart diseases and heart disease respectively in 2020 (Note). In addition, according to information by the Hospital Authority, during the period from January 3 to January 30 of 2022, the ratio of death cases out of those without a vaccination record was 166 cases for every 100 000 people, whereas the ratio of death cases for those with a vaccination record was 10.3 cases for every 100 000 people. The overall death rate during this period of time is similar to that recorded in the past three years. Based on the above figures, there is no evidence that vaccination increases the risk of death for recipients.
 
     The Expert Committee has also reviewed available clinical data and information for conducting causality assessment of other serious or unexpected AEFIs and AESIs. The results will be included in the updated safety monitoring report (as at January 31) to be published at the Government's designated website on February 11. In addition, information related to AEFIs of COVID-19 vaccines and relevant statistics will also be released in the weekly "Update on monitoring COVID-19 vaccination" press release and the Government's designated website regularly.

Note (figures rectification): In the period between February 26 and November 30 of 2020, among people aged 30 or above, there were 2 978 deaths (i.e. 54.4 per 100 000 population) and 5 071 deaths (i.e. 92.7 per 100 000 population) due to ischaemic heart diseases and heart disease respectively; in the period between February 26 and December 31 of 2020, among people aged 30 or above, there were 3 292 deaths (i.e. 60.2 per 100 000 population) and 5 573 deaths (i.e. 101.8 per 100 000 population) due to ischaemic heart diseases and heart disease respectively.