Tag Archives: China

     The Government today (May 19) 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 4.30pm, under which people (hereafter referred to as “persons subject to compulsory testing”) within the specified “restricted area” in Tai Wai (i.e. Fu Chung House, Mei Chung Court, Tai Wai, excluding Mei Chung Court Management Office 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 10am tomorrow (May 20). The operation may be extended depending on test results.
      
     A Government spokesman said, “Under Cap. 599J, the Government can, according to the needs of infection control, make a ‘restriction-testing declaration’. Having reviewed a basket of factors, including the viral load in sewage, the information of relevant positive cases, and other circumstantial factors, and conducted a risk assessment, 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 11.30pm today. 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 make arrangement to facilitate specimen collection for people with impaired mobility. All persons in the “restricted area” who have tested positive in the past 14 days, 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, will not be required to undergo testing in this compulsory testing exercise.
 
     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 10am 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 persons other than those specified above who had been present at the above building for more than two hours from May 13 to 19, 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 May 21, 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 $10,000. 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 5 ($50,000) and imprisonment for six months. read more

     The effective exchange rate index for the Hong Kong dollar on Thursday, May 19, 2022 is 100.2 (up 0.3 against yesterday’s index). read more

     The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today (May 19) announced that the test results of 67 rice dumpling samples collected under a recently completed seasonal food surveillance p… read more

     The Secretary for Innovation and Technology, Mr Alfred Sit, today (May 19) visited the “iAM Smart” mobile registration team at the Transport Department (TD)’s Hong Kong Licensing Office to learn more about their work and encourage the team to help more people register for “iAM Smart” for fostering smart city development and bringing greater convenience to the public.

     Mr Sit said, “We have deployed ‘iAM Smart’ mobile registration teams to the TD’s Licensing Offices to actively promote ‘iAM Smart’ and provide one more option for individual registered vehicle owners. Citing renewal of vehicle licences as an example, members of the public who have registered for ‘iAM Smart+’, which comes with a digital signing function, can easily sign and submit applications online. There is no need to queue in person at the Licensing Offices even though submission of forms with an applicant’s signature and other related documents is required, making the process swift and convenient.”

     The Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO) will set up mobile registration teams at the four Licensing Offices of the TD to help members of the public register for “iAM Smart+” from today onwards.  

     Riding on the launch of “iAM Smart”, the TD has upgraded 12 types of its existing online licensing application services in phases since December 2020 (see Annex), and plans to adopt “iAM Smart” for authentication in more online licensing services with a view to allowing members of the public to fill in and submit applications online without having to queue up for counter services at the Licensing Offices.

     Members of the public who have registered for “iAM Smart+”, which comes with a digital signing function, can digitally sign and submit online applications for renewal of vehicle licences and full driving licences. Those who have yet to register and wish to submit licence applications online can approach the mobile registration teams to register for “iAM Smart+”.

     “iAM Smart” mobile registration services at the Licensing Offices are as follows:

Starting from May 19

• Hong Kong Licensing Office: 3/F, United Centre, 95 Queensway, Hong Kong
• Kwun Tong Licensing Office: 5/F, Kowloon East Government Offices, 12 Lei Yue Mun Road, Kowloon
• Sha Tin Licensing Office: 2/F, Sha Tin Government Offices, 1 Sheung Wo Che Road, Sha Tin, New Territories

 
Starting from June 1

• Kowloon Licensing Office: 2/F, Cheung Sha Wan Government Offices, 303 Cheung Sha Wan Road, Kowloon

 
     The service hours are from 9am to 2pm and from 3pm to 5pm from Monday to Friday, and closed on Saturday, Sunday and public holidays.
 
     Since the launch of the one-stop personalised digital service platform “iAM Smart” in December 2020, more than 1.3 million people have already registered as “iAM Smart” users, and over 200 commonly used government, public and private online services are now accessible through the platform. The OGCIO has been actively promoting the adoption of “iAM Smart” by government bureaux and departments, so as to bring greater convenience to the public with the development of more digital government services and streamlined business processes. The public can complete the required procedures online without having to visit respective offices in person.

     An “iAM Smart” account is available in two versions, namely “iAM Smart” and “iAM Smart+”. “iAM Smart” provides authentication, “e-ME” form filling, and personalised notifications functions, while the “iAM Smart+” version provides an additional function of digital signing with legal backing. Apart from using the mobile registration team services, members of the public may register for “iAM Smart” with a few simple steps using the “iAM Smart” mobile app downloaded from the app stores. They may also visit the “iAM Smart” self-registration kiosks set up at various locations throughout Hong Kong or visit the registration service counters located at any of the post offices (except mobile post offices) to directly register for “iAM Smart+”. Information about the registration services is available on the “iAM Smart” thematic website (www.iamsmart.gov.hk). read more

     The Government yesterday (May 18) exercised the power under the Prevention and Control of Disease (Compulsory Testing for Certain Persons) Regulation (Cap. 599J) to make a “restriction-testing declaration” with effect from 5.30pm yesterday, under which people (hereafter referred to as “persons subject to compulsory testing”) within the specified “restricted area” in Kwun Tong (i.e. King Tai House, On Tai Estate, Kwun Tong, excluding the car park thereat and kindergarten on UG/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.

     In addition, the Government issued a compulsory testing notice yesterday, requiring any person who had been present at the above building for more than two hours from May 12 to May 18, 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 May 20, 2022.

     The Government finished the compulsory testing exercise at around 8.30am today (May 19) 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 10.30am today.

     The Government provided food packs for persons subject to compulsory testing, so as to facilitate their meal arrangements. Anti-epidemic proprietary Chinese medicines donated by the Central People’s Government or procured with the co-ordination of the Central People’s Government and rapid test kits were also provided to persons subject to compulsory testing to help them fight against the virus. The Housing Department 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 efforts of the testing contractors throughout the night, residents have been informed about their testing results by SMS notification. After finishing the compulsory testing exercise at around 8.30am 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 test result 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 10.30am. Test records of about 770 persons subject to compulsory testing were checked. No person was found to have not 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 reminded the households who have not answered the door to undergo a nucleic acid test 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 fined a fixed penalty of $10,000. 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 5 ($50,000) and imprisonment for six months. read more