Tag Archives: China

     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 6.30pm under which people (hereafter referred to as “persons subject to compulsory testing”) within the specified “restricted area” in Kennedy Town (i.e. West Terrace, Sai Wan Estate, Kennedy Town) 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 8.15am 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 10.15am 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 8.15am 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 10.15am. Test records of about 80 persons subject to compulsory testing were checked. Nobody 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

     A property owner was convicted and fined over $160,000 at the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts early this month for persistently failing to comply with two removal orders issued under the Buildings Ordinance (BO) (Cap. 123).

     The orders involved several unauthorised building works (UBWs) in a house at Discovery Bay, Lantau Island, including a roof structure of about 23 square metres, a bedroom extension projecting from the external wall on and over a planter, and removal of metal railings on the balcony and the roof, and replacing them with glass railings. As the UBWs were constructed without prior approval and consent from the Buildings Department (BD), two removal orders were served on the owner under section 24(1) of the BO.

     Failing to comply with the removal orders, the owner was prosecuted by the BD in 2018 and was fined about $90,000 in total upon conviction at the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts. As the owner persisted in not complying with the removal orders, the owner was prosecuted by the BD for the second time and was convicted again and was fined $162,800 in total on May 4.

     A spokesman for the BD said today (May 19), “UBWs may adversely affect the structural and fire safety of a building, leading to serious consequences. Owners must comply with the removal orders without delay. The BD will continue to take enforcement action against owners who have failed to comply with the removal orders, including instigation of prosecution, so as to ensure building safety.”

     Failure to comply with a removal order without reasonable excuse is a serious offence under the BO. The maximum penalty upon conviction is one year’s imprisonment and a fine of $200,000, and a further fine of $20,000 for each day that the offence continues. read more

     T·PARK is Hong Kong’s first large-scale waste-to-energy (WtE) facility. Since its opening in 2016, T·PARK, has treated more than 2.7 million tonnes of sewage sludge, turning a daily average of over 1 230 tonnes of sewage sludge into energy over the past six years. While alleviating the pressure on landfills, the sludge incineration process also generates heat energy that is turned into electricity to support the energy needs of the facility, and the surplus electricity generated is exported to the public power grid. The facility has achieved reduction of waste and carbon emissions, and its environmental education centre has meanwhile been well received by the public, with more than 280 000 visitors in the past six years. The education centre’s innovative and green design has set a new paradigm in which the public can learn about and understand the concept and benefits of WtE facilities.
 
     A spokesman for the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) said today (May 19) that to celebrate the sixth anniversary of T·PARK, the department will hold a series of publicity activities through online platforms including social media to showcase how the facility adopts sustainable waste treatment solutions to practice turning waste into energy. The EPD will also hold “use less, waste less” workshops in July and August for the public to enjoy the fun of recycling resources.
 
     “T·PARK’s environmental education centre offers recreational facilities for members of the public to visit and use for free, and provides guided tours, with a view to educating the public on the benefits of using modern WtE facilities for waste management. The adoption of advanced incineration technology in waste disposal can generate energy in the process. Apart from reducing the use of fossil fuels to generate electricity, it also helps avoid methane generation due to waste disposal in the landfills, thus reducing local greenhouse gas emissions and helping combat climate change,” the spokesman said.
 
     Hong Kong will continue to develop WtE facilities, with a view to gradually replacing the disposal of nearly 11 000 tonnes of municipal solid waste (MSW) daily in landfills. The Integrated Waste Management Facilities Phase 1, I·PARK1, which is now being built near Shek Kwu Chau, will be the first MSW disposal facility in Hong Kong using advanced incineration technology. It is scheduled for commissioning in 2025. For the site selection of I·PARK2, the EPD will conduct studies on environmental impact assessment and technical feasibility in regard to the middle ash lagoon at Tsang Tsui in Tuen Mun. The department will also commence a comprehensive territory-wide site search study in parallel to identify other potential sites suitable for developing other WtE facilities, in order to achieve the goals of “Zero Landfill” and carbon neutrality set out in the Waste Blueprint for Hong Kong 2035 and Hong Kong’s Climate Action Plan 2050.
 
     T·PARK, as the largest WtE facility in Hong Kong currently, is a landmark with novel architectural and engineering design. With its green building design features, T·PARK has attained the Platinum rating – the highest rating available – under BEAM Plus of the Hong Kong Green Building Council, and has also won many local and overseas awards in respect of engineering and sustainable architectural design. Its T·CAFÉ has also won various design awards.
 
     To enable more visitors to join the guided tours at T·PARK, the EPD today relaxed booking to allow each tour session to accommodate 30 persons. Booking by organisations (including schools and higher education institutions) will resume on May 26. The EPD will pay close attention to the latest developments of the pandemic and the Government’s social distancing measures to review the arrangements for reopening the T·SPA.
 
     T·PARK is located at 25 Nim Wan Road, Tsang Tsui, Tuen Mun, and is open to the public on Monday and from Wednesday to Sunday, from 10am to 7pm. Members of the public can book a visit via its dedicated website. Guided tours are available every open day and a free shuttle bus service is available for visitors to and from V city in Tuen Mun. More information about T·PARK can be found at its dedicated website: www.tpark.hk. Members of the public may also call 2910 9700 or send an email to info@tpark.hk for enquiries. read more

     The Lands Department (LandsD) today (May 19) posted land resumption notices in accordance with section 4 of the Lands Resumption Ordinance (Chapter 124) and section 14 of the Roads (Works, Use and Compensation) Ordinance (Chapter 37… 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” effective from 5.30pm yesterday, under which people (hereafter referred to as “persons subject to compulsory testing”) within the specified “restricted area” in Fanling (i.e. Ka Yiu House, Ka Shing Court, Fanling, excluding the kindergarten 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.
 
     Moreover, the Government issued a compulsory testing notice yesterday, requiring persons 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, to undergo compulsory testing on or before May 20, 2022. The Government finished the compulsory testing exercise at around 8am 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 10am today.
 
     Staff from the Hong Kong Observatory, Intellectual Property Department, Invest Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Police Force took part in this exercise 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 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 8am 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 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 10am. Test records of around 520 persons subject to compulsory testing were checked. Nobody 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 reminds the 79 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