The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) announced that as of 0.00am, November 21, the CHP was investigating two additional confirmed cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), taking the number of cases to 12 402 in Hong Kong so far (comprising 12 401 confirmed cases and one probable case).
     
     The newly reported cases are imported cases which involved mutant strains. The patients comprise one male aged 75 and one female aged 35. Both of them arrived in Hong Kong from Group A specified places (high-risk). One of them tested positive during the "test-and-hold" arrangement upon arrival at the Temporary Specimen Collection Centre at Hong Kong International Airport and the other one tested positive during quarantine at the designated quarantine facility (Penny's Bay Quarantine Centre).

     A total of 32 cases have been reported in the past 14 days (November 7 to 20) and all of them are imported cases.

     According to the testing and quarantine arrangements for local COVID-19 cases with mutant strains, the CHP reminded that persons who resided or worked within the same building as the residence of relevant cases will be subject to compulsory testing on specified dates in accordance with the announcement by the DH. They will also be required to undergo self-monitoring until the 21st day (see the details of the buildings and dates of testing at www.coronavirus.gov.hk/pdf/CTN_Specified_premises_and_Dates_of_Testing.pdf).

     Specified persons in relation to the following specified premises are also reminded to undergo compulsory testing in accordance with the compulsory testing notice tomorrow (November 22):

• Block 4, New Jade Garden, 233 Chai Wan Road, Chai Wan
• Way Man Court, 50-52 Village Road, Happy Valley

     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 or the "COVID-19 Thematic Website" (www.coronavirus.gov.hk).

     The spokesman for the CHP stressed, "The global situation of COVID-19 infection remains severe and there is a continuous increase in the number of cases involving mutant strains that carry higher transmissibility, and there are also reports of breakthrough infections in some vaccinated individuals. The CHP strongly urges members of the public to avoid all non-essential travel outside Hong Kong, in particular to specified places with high risk under the Prevention and Control of Disease (Regulation of Cross-boundary Conveyances and Travellers) Regulation (Cap. 599H)."

The following is issued on behalf of the Liquor Licensing Board:

     The Liquor Licensing Board (LLB) will meet on Tuesday (November 23) to consider four applications for new issue, renewal and amendment of liquor licences.

     The applications are (not in order of discussion):

Hong Kong:
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Pete's Place in Sai Wan

Kowloon:
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Kizuna in Tsim Sha Tsui
TAM SIU in Mong Kok

New Territories:
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CHIU FUNG HOT POT RESTAURANT in Yuen Long

     The board will also consider revocation of the liquor licence of "Craftsman Private Kitchen" in Kowloon City.

     The meeting will be held at 9.45am in the conference room, Room 102, 1/F, 258 Queen's Road East, Wan Chai. In response to the latest developments of COVID-19, to avoid the gathering of people in an enclosed environment and to safeguard the health of all participants, only limited public seats will be available on a first-come, first-served basis for all open hearings of the LLB in the interim.

     The Environmental Protection Department has completed the initial works of the South East New Territories (SENT) Landfill Extension, which has started to receive construction waste from the Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and East New Territories areas today (November 21). The existing SENT Landfill has stopped receiving construction waste from today.
      
     Adjoining the south of the existing SENT Landfill, the extension project included site formation; installation of an impermeable liner system; and construction of a leachate collection and treatment system, a landfill gas collection and management system, a surface water collection system; restoration and aftercare facilities, and more. It can provide about 6.5 million cubic metres of landfill capacity.

     Six digital TV programme channels in Hong Kong will use new transmitting frequencies starting from 0.00am on December 1 this year. The Office of the Communications Authority (OFCA) today (November 21) urged property owners and managers who have not yet arranged with their contractors to reconfigure the common antenna broadcast distribution (CABD) systems of their buildings to act immediately in the remaining 10 days. Otherwise, residents may not be able to continue receiving the TV programme channels concerned after 0.00am on that day.

     The six digital TV programme channels involved are Jade 81 of Television Broadcasts Limited, ViuTVsix 96 and ViuTV 99 of HK Television Entertainment Company Limited, and RTHK TV 31, RTHK TV 32 and RTHK TV 33 of Radio Television Hong Kong. The transmitting frequencies of other digital TV programme channels (i.e. 76, 77, 82, 83, 84 and 85) will remain unchanged.

     A spokesman for OFCA said that so far around 90 per cent of households in multi-storey buildings with CABD systems in Hong Kong have completed the reconfiguration work. The spokesman reminded property owners and managers that, upon the completion of the reconfiguration of their CABD systems by contractors and on their advice, residents should be informed whether they would need to rescan for the TV programme channels on their digital TV receivers. Property managers should pay particular attention to the elderly, ethnic minorities and other residents with special needs, and provide them with appropriate assistance as necessary.

     Households using self-provided antennae, including residents of village houses, bungalows and old tenement buildings, do not need to adjust their digital TV receivers or antennae at this juncture. They should rescan for TV programme channels on their digital TV receivers only if they cannot receive any of the TV programme channels after 0.00am on December 1.

     For details, please visit OFCA's thematic webpage (www.ofca.gov.hk/en/consumer_focus/guide/hot_topics/migration_of_dtt_programme_channels/index.html) or contact the hotline at 2961 6333 for enquiries. For the reference guide on rescanning digital TV programme channels, please refer to the following link: www.ofca.gov.hk/rescan/en.

Attention TV/radio announcers:

Please broadcast the following as soon as possible:

     Here is an item of interest to swimmers.

     The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced today (November 21) that due to big waves, red flag has been hoisted at Clear Water Bay Second Beach in Sai Kung District. Beachgoers are advised not to swim at the beach.