The Government yesterday (May 4) 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 4pm yesterday, under which people (hereafter referred to as "persons subject to compulsory testing") within the specified "restricted area" in Tsuen Wan (i.e. Fung Shue House, Lei Muk Shue Estate, Tsuen Wan) were 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. All persons in the "restricted area" who had tested positive in the past three months, including positive cases identified either by nucleic acid tests that have been recorded by the Department of Health (DH) or by rapid antigen tests (RAT) that had been self-declared to the DH, were not required to undergo testing in this compulsory testing exercise. 

     In addition, the Government issued a compulsory testing notice yesterday to any person other than those specified above who had been present at the building for more than two hours from April 28 to May 4, 2022, to undergo compulsory testing on or before May 6, 2022, even if they were not present in the "restricted area" at the time when the declaration took effect. The Government finished the compulsory testing exercise at around 6.20am today (May 5) and is now carrying out enforcement actions in the "restricted area" to verify that all people in the "restricted area" have undergone compulsory testing. The Government will further announce the revocation time of the declaration.

     Starting from around 6.20am today, persons in the specified "restricted area" in Tsuen Wan who have undergone testing and are able to present SMS notifications with negative test results as proof of having undergone testing may leave the "restricted area" through the designated exit after providing personal information to a prescribed officer.

     The Government set up temporary specimen collection stations in the "restricted area" yesterday and requested persons subject to compulsory testing to collect combined nasal and throat swab samples at the stations to undergo a COVID-19 virus test before 9pm yesterday. Around 1 470 people within the "restricted area" had undergone testing, among which five cases tested positive were found. The Centre for Health Protection of the DH will arrange to follow up. 

     Moreover, the Government also assigned staff to visit around 800 households within the "restricted area", among which 119 households did not answer the door. The Government will take measures to follow up.

     The Government reiterates that enforcement actions will be taken seriously. Any person who fails to present an SMS notification with a test result or wear a wristband as proof of having undergone testing breaches the compulsory testing notice and may be liable to a fine of $10,000. The person will also be issued with a compulsory testing order, requiring him/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.

     The Government announced on May 4 the arrangements for inbound travellers from places outside Hong Kong to obtain a Provisional Vaccine Pass and for persons who have recovered from COVID-19 infection in places outside Hong Kong (non-locally recovered persons) to declare their non-local recovery record for obtaining a recovery record QR code. For locally recovered persons, please refer to the press release issued on April 19 (www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202204/19/
P2022041900477.htm) for the arrangements to download the recovery record QR code. The Government also reminded persons who received COVID-19 vaccine outside Hong Kong that they may continue to receive the two locally available vaccines as third dose or booster dose in Hong Kong.
 
Arrangements to obtain Provisional Vaccine Pass
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     All inbound travellers who have stayed in overseas places in the past 14 days (including non-Hong Kong residents (non-HKRs)) are required to be fully vaccinated (Note) and hold a recognised vaccination record in order to board a flight for Hong Kong. "Fully vaccinated" means the required dose(s), generally referring to two doses of vaccine, has been administered in accordance with the relevant guidelines of the "List of COVID-19 Vaccines Recognised for Specified Purposes" (the List) at least 14 days prior to arrival at Hong Kong.
 
     Currently, an inbound traveller (including Hong Kong resident (HKR) and non-HKR) who is subject to compulsory quarantine, can declare his/her non-local vaccination details when he/she is making the "Health & Quarantine Information Declaration" at the Department of Health's online platform. Upon his/her arrival in Hong Kong, officers at control points will check his/her proof of non-local vaccination record and issue a compulsory quarantine order together with a vaccination record QR code for local use at the same time upon confirmation. As for other inbound travellers, or those who have already been present in Hong Kong (including HKRs and non-HKRs), they can declare their non-local vaccination records through the assistance from staff at the 18 designated post offices (see Annex). Upon completion of declaration, a vaccination record QR code for local use will be issued immediately.
 
     As inbound travellers from places outside Hong Kong may not be able to receive the third dose of vaccine in relevant places for fulfilling the requirements under stage three of the Vaccine Pass, to tie in with the arrangement of allowing non-HKRs to arrive in Hong Kong from overseas starting from May 1 and to provide convenience for persons staying temporarily in Hong Kong to enter specified premises under the Vaccine Pass, inbound travellers arriving on May 1 and after from places outside Hong Kong (including HKRs and non-HKRs) will be issued with a Provisional Vaccine Pass in the following channels:

(1) Starting from May 5, inbound travellers who are subject to compulsory quarantine will be issued with a vaccination record QR code and a Provisional Vaccine Pass for local use apart from a compulsory quarantine order at boundary control points (including land and airport boundary control points) upon entering Hong Kong. 

(2) Inbound travellers who arrived in Hong Kong before May 5 and are undergoing compulsory quarantine may visit the 18 designated post offices after completing quarantine and fill in the declaration form, present their identity document in original and their quarantine order to obtain the Provisional Vaccine Pass. 

(3) Inbound travellers who arrived in Hong Kong from the Mainland or Macao on or after May 1 and are not required to undergo compulsory quarantine (including persons who enter Hong Kong through the Return2hk Scheme or Come2hk Scheme) may declare their arrival record at the 18 designated post offices for obtaining a Provisional Vaccine Pass starting from May 5. These persons are required to complete a declaration form, and present their identity document in original and other relevant proof, e.g. Return2hk or Come2hk arrival health declaration QR code showing their arrival date or medical surveillance notice issued to persons exempted from quarantine. 

     Persons aged under 18 or persons with a disability can authorise a person to register on their behalf. For details, please refer to "FAQ – Non-local COVID-19 Vaccination Record/Recovery Record/'Provisional Vaccine Pass' QR codes" (www.covidvaccine.gov.hk/pdf/nonlocalvaccFAQs_ENG.pdf).
 
     The Provisional Vaccine Pass is valid within 180 days (i.e. six months) from the date of arrival. During the period, inbound travellers may carry with them or present the Provisional Vaccine Pass as a substitute for the vaccination record to enter specified premises under the Vaccine Pass. The Government has also updated the "LeaveHomeSafe" mobile application to version 3.2.3 for members of the public to save the Provisional Vaccine Pass to "LeaveHomeSafe" so as to facilitate scanning on entering Vaccine Pass premises subject to active checking.

     Relevant persons are required to receive the required dosage of vaccine locally at locations providing COVID-19 vaccination during the validity period of the Provisional Vaccine Pass in order to continue to comply with the Vaccine Pass requirements after the Provisional Vaccine Pass expires. Relevant persons will be issued with an updated vaccination record QR code after getting vaccinated. If inbound travellers also declared their non-local vaccination record at boundary control points upon entering Hong Kong or at the 18 designated post offices afterwards, they will be issued with a vaccination record QR code.
 
Declaration arrangements for non-local recovery record
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     To facilitate the use of the Vaccine Pass by non-locally recovered persons, they may declare their non-local recovery record upon entry into Hong Kong starting from May 5 in order to obtain a non-local vaccination record QR code incorporating their recovery status.

     For those who are already in Hong Kong, they may declare their non-local recovery record at the 18 designated post offices starting from May 5. These persons are required to complete a declaration form, and present their identity document in original and the infection or recovery record issued or recognised by the relevant health authorities of the place concerned. They will be issued with a recovery record QR code upon successful declaration at the designated post offices. Persons aged under 18 or persons with a disability can authorise a person to register on their behalf. For details, please refer to "FAQ – Non-local COVID-19 Vaccination Record/Recovery Record/'Provisional Vaccine Pass' QR codes" (www.covidvaccine.gov.hk/pdf/nonlocalvaccFAQs_ENG.pdf).
 
     The recovery record QR code is valid within 180 days (i.e. six months) from the date of recovery. During the period, non-locally recovered persons may carry with them or present the recovery record QR code as a substitute for the vaccination record to enter specified premises under the Vaccine Pass. The recovery record QR code may be saved in the "LeaveHomeSafe" mobile application to facilitate scanning when entering Vaccine Pass premises subject to active checking.

     If the relevant persons also declared their non-local vaccination record upon or after entering Hong Kong, they will be issued a vaccination record QR code with their recovery status incorporated. If the relevant persons hold local vaccination record, they can download the vaccination record QR code again with their recovery status incorporated through the "iAM Smart" or "eHealth" mobile applications.

     Recovered persons who have received two or three doses of vaccine are not required to receive additional doses of vaccine to comply with the Vaccine Pass requirement and can continue to use the vaccination record QR code with their recovery status incorporated to enter Vaccine Pass premises. As for recovered persons who have not been vaccinated or who have only received one dose of vaccine, they are required to receive as soon as possible in accordance with the requirements under the different stages of the Vaccine Pass the required dosage of vaccine during the validity period of the Provisional Vaccine Pass/recovery record QR code locally at locations providing COVID-19 vaccination to continue to comply with the Vaccine Pass requirement. Relevant persons will be issued with the updated vaccination record QR code with their recovery status incorporated after getting vaccinated.

     As the Government previously announced, as a transitional measure, non-locally recovered persons may still present the infection or recovery record issued or recognised by the relevant health authorities of the place concerned on or before June 30 for the Vaccine Pass purposes. Subsequently, they are required to use the recovery record QR code, or the vaccination record QR code with their recovery status incorporated.
 
     Since the presence of viral genome fragments inside the body of some recovered persons may still be detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) nucleic acid tests, for persons arriving in Hong Kong who are tested positive by PCR nucleic acid tests with a low viral load during "test and hold" at the Hong Kong International Airport and compulsory quarantine in designated quarantine hotels, and the relevant persons are recovered persons infected within three months, the Department of Health will, having regard to data of the PCR nucleic acid test result or recovery record, consider whether to allow the individual to continue to undergo compulsory quarantine in the designated quarantine hotel instead of transferring the person to designated isolation facilities to undergo isolation.
 
Persons who received non-local vaccine
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     For persons who received vaccine that are not provided locally in places outside Hong Kong, if the vaccine they received is included in the List, provided that relevant persons had received the required dose(s) stated on the List, they will be deemed as fulfilling the second stage Vaccine Pass requirements.

     When the Vaccine Pass arrangement enters the third stage on May 31, apart from the required dose(s) stated on the List, relevant persons are also required to receive an additional dose. According to the latest recommendation of the Joint Scientific Committee on April 6, persons who have been fully vaccinated with vaccine stated on the List may choose to receive any one of the available vaccines in Hong Kong for their additional dose, i.e. Sinovac or Comirnaty vaccine.

     The latest Vaccine Pass Direction has already reflected the relevant arrangement for the aforementioned persons who received non-local vaccine.

     "Vaccination is highly effective in preventing severe cases or deaths from COVID-19. The implementation of the Provisional Vaccine Pass arrangement aims to provide a transitional period for inbound travellers to meet the Vaccine Pass requirements. We strongly appeal to members of the public who have not been vaccinated, especially senior citizens, chronic patients and other immunocompromised persons who face a much higher fatality risk after COVID-19 infection, to get vaccinated with no delay for the sake of their health. Members of the public who are currently eligible for a third or fourth dose should also get the dose as soon as possible with a view to building an immune barrier for Hong Kong," a Government spokesman said.

Note: For the purpose of inbound boarding and quarantine requirements, fully vaccinated generally involves receiving two doses of the Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine (CoronaVac vaccine) or the Fosun Pharma/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine (Comirnaty vaccine) 14 days before coming to Hong Kong. Persons previously infected with COVID-19 who have received one dose of COVID-19 vaccine can be considered fully vaccinated. As for persons aged between 12 and 17 on the scheduled day of arrival at Hong Kong, they may be deemed to have completed the COVID-19 vaccination course on receiving one dose of the Comirnaty vaccine. For individuals who received COVID-19 vaccines in places outside Hong Kong and have received the required dose(s) as stipulated in the List and the relevant guidelines, they will also be regarded to have completed the vaccination course of the relevant COVID-19 vaccine.

     For the purpose of boarding requirements, relevant persons who are fully vaccinated and hold a recognised vaccination record, as well as children under 12-year-old accompanied by them, can board for Hong Kong. In addition, persons who (i) are unfit for vaccination due to health reasons with relevant proof from a medical practitioner; or (ii) have received one dose of recognised COVID-19 vaccine and hold a recognised vaccination record, if they were certified by a medical practitioner that they were unfit to receive the second dose of COVID-19 vaccine because of health reasons after receiving the first dose of vaccine, while they are not considered to be fully vaccinated, they are exceptionally allowed to board flights for Hong Kong. The relevant medical certificate must indicate the relevant health reasons in English or Chinese. Non-local medical certificates are not applicable to local Vaccine Pass arrangement. Persons holding the relevant medical certificates are required to use the COVID-19 Vaccination Medical Exemption Certificate issued by local doctor and printed with encrypted QR code after their Provisional Vaccine Pass expires. For details, please refer to the relevant press release (www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202201/27/P2022012700615.htm).

     In the preceding week till 11.59pm on May 1, the Department of Health (DH) received 32 reports (Note 1) of adverse events following COVID-19 immunisation. No death case was reported by the Hospital Authority (HA) involving individuals who had received vaccines within 14 days before they passed away and had potential association with vaccination.

     As at 8pm on May 1, around 16.06 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines had been administered for members of the public. Around 6.64 million people had received at least one dose of vaccine, including 91.1 per cent of the population aged 12 or above (Note 2). The DH received 7 431 reports of adverse events (0.05 per cent of the total vaccine doses administered). Among the death cases concerning persons who had been vaccinated, including 100 cases (Note 3) with vaccination within 14 days before they passed away (0.0006 per cent of the total vaccine doses administered), none of the death cases was associated with vaccination.

     As at May 1, the Expert Committee on Clinical Events Assessment Following COVID-19 Immunisation had concluded that 61 death cases had no causal relationship with vaccination, and preliminarily considered that 11 cases were not associated with vaccination. Twenty-eight cases are still pending further information for assessment. The Expert Committee considered that there is no unusual pattern identified so far, and will continue to closely monitor the relevant situation and collect data for assessment.

     According to information from the HA, during the period from April 4 to May 1, the ratio of death cases out of those without a vaccination record was 336.0 cases for every 100 000 people, whereas the ratio of death cases for those with a vaccination record was 33.2 cases for every 100 000 people. Out of those without a vaccination record, the ratio of death cases with acute stroke or acute myocardial infarction was 11.2 cases for every 100 000 people, whereas the ratio of death cases under the same category for those with a vaccination record was 1.7 cases for every 100 000 people. Furthermore, the ratio of miscarriage cases out of those without a vaccination record was 114.5 cases for every 100 000 people, whereas the ratio of miscarriage cases for those who had a vaccination record was 11.2 cases for every 100 000 people. Based on the statistical analysis of the above figures, there is no evidence that vaccination increases the risk of death or miscarriage for recipients. The relevant reference statistics will be uploaded to the thematic website for the COVID-19 Vaccination Programme.

     The majority of non-death cases of adverse events received so far are relatively minor cases. The relevant details can be found in the "Report on the Safety Monitoring of COVID-19 Vaccines in Hong Kong" (www.drugoffice.gov.hk/eps/do/en/doc/Safety_Monitoring_of_COVID-19_Vaccines_in_Hong_Kong.pdf).

     "Given the high transmissibility of the Omicron mutant strain, members of the public must still stay vigilant even if the epidemic situation has subsided a little recently. Deaths and severe cases involving children and elderly persons, who are our focus of protection in vaccination, have been recorded in the fifth wave of the epidemic. For elderly persons, the COVID-19 vaccination rate for the elderly aged 80 or above in Hong Kong is only around 64 per cent at present, meaning that around 36 per cent of the elderly in that age group are in a dangerous situation, which is alarming. According to preliminary data analysis, out of the cases reported in the fifth wave, the proportion of death and critical/serious condition is highest in those aged 80 or above, which increases exponentially from age 60, and most of the deceased cases are unvaccinated persons. As compared to the Hong Kong overall population, those who have received three doses of vaccine account for a much lower proportion among reported cases, and an extremely low proportion among the hospitalised critical/serious and deceased cases. This demonstrates the effectiveness of three doses of vaccine in preventing infection, serious illness and fatality from COVID-19. Even with just the first dose of vaccine, the risk of death can be significantly reduced. The latest research data from the University of Hong Kong also shows that receiving three doses of either the Comirnaty or CoronaVac vaccine is highly effective for preventing severe cases and deaths with over 90 per cent effectiveness. Members of the public who are currently eligible for a third dose should get the third dose as soon as possible. Furthermore, in response to the latest advice from experts, we have started the administration of the fourth vaccine dose for persons aged 60 or above who have received three doses of the Comirnaty or the CoronaVac vaccine. They may receive the fourth dose at least three months after their last dose. Members of the public who are eligible for a fourth dose should get it as soon as possible to further enhance protection. On the other hand, the minimum age for receiving the CoronaVac vaccine has been lowered to 3 years old, while the minimum age for receiving the Comirnaty vaccine is 5 years old. We call on parents to arrange vaccination for their children as early as possible for better protection," a Government spokesman said.

Note 1: Provisional figures. In the preceding week till 11.59pm on May 1, the DH did not receive any reports of suspected myocarditis or pericarditis involving adolescents in the age group of 3 to 15.

Note 2: The percentage of population with vaccine doses may be different from previous statistics as the population base has been updated with the provisional estimate of the end-year population for 2021 provided by the Census and Statistics Department

Note 3: In the preceding week till 11.59pm on May 1, the DH received three death reports involving individuals who had received COVID-19 vaccination within 14 days before passing away. The cases involved three males aged from 55 to 77. There is no clinical evidence that the incidents arose from vaccination.

     In the preceding week till 11.59pm on May 1, the Department of Health (DH) received 32 reports (Note 1) of adverse events following COVID-19 immunisation. No death case was reported by the Hospital Authority (HA) involving individuals who had received vaccines within 14 days before they passed away and had potential association with vaccination.

     As at 8pm on May 1, around 16.06 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines had been administered for members of the public. Around 6.64 million people had received at least one dose of vaccine, including 91.1 per cent of the population aged 12 or above (Note 2). The DH received 7 431 reports of adverse events (0.05 per cent of the total vaccine doses administered). Among the death cases concerning persons who had been vaccinated, including 100 cases (Note 3) with vaccination within 14 days before they passed away (0.0006 per cent of the total vaccine doses administered), none of the death cases was associated with vaccination.

     As at May 1, the Expert Committee on Clinical Events Assessment Following COVID-19 Immunisation had concluded that 61 death cases had no causal relationship with vaccination, and preliminarily considered that 11 cases were not associated with vaccination. Twenty-eight cases are still pending further information for assessment. The Expert Committee considered that there is no unusual pattern identified so far, and will continue to closely monitor the relevant situation and collect data for assessment.

     According to information from the HA, during the period from April 4 to May 1, the ratio of death cases out of those without a vaccination record was 336.0 cases for every 100 000 people, whereas the ratio of death cases for those with a vaccination record was 33.2 cases for every 100 000 people. Out of those without a vaccination record, the ratio of death cases with acute stroke or acute myocardial infarction was 11.2 cases for every 100 000 people, whereas the ratio of death cases under the same category for those with a vaccination record was 1.7 cases for every 100 000 people. Furthermore, the ratio of miscarriage cases out of those without a vaccination record was 114.5 cases for every 100 000 people, whereas the ratio of miscarriage cases for those who had a vaccination record was 11.2 cases for every 100 000 people. Based on the statistical analysis of the above figures, there is no evidence that vaccination increases the risk of death or miscarriage for recipients. The relevant reference statistics will be uploaded to the thematic website for the COVID-19 Vaccination Programme.

     The majority of non-death cases of adverse events received so far are relatively minor cases. The relevant details can be found in the "Report on the Safety Monitoring of COVID-19 Vaccines in Hong Kong" (www.drugoffice.gov.hk/eps/do/en/doc/Safety_Monitoring_of_COVID-19_Vaccines_in_Hong_Kong.pdf).

     "Given the high transmissibility of the Omicron mutant strain, members of the public must still stay vigilant even if the epidemic situation has subsided a little recently. Deaths and severe cases involving children and elderly persons, who are our focus of protection in vaccination, have been recorded in the fifth wave of the epidemic. For elderly persons, the COVID-19 vaccination rate for the elderly aged 80 or above in Hong Kong is only around 64 per cent at present, meaning that around 36 per cent of the elderly in that age group are in a dangerous situation, which is alarming. According to preliminary data analysis, out of the cases reported in the fifth wave, the proportion of death and critical/serious condition is highest in those aged 80 or above, which increases exponentially from age 60, and most of the deceased cases are unvaccinated persons. As compared to the Hong Kong overall population, those who have received three doses of vaccine account for a much lower proportion among reported cases, and an extremely low proportion among the hospitalised critical/serious and deceased cases. This demonstrates the effectiveness of three doses of vaccine in preventing infection, serious illness and fatality from COVID-19. Even with just the first dose of vaccine, the risk of death can be significantly reduced. The latest research data from the University of Hong Kong also shows that receiving three doses of either the Comirnaty or CoronaVac vaccine is highly effective for preventing severe cases and deaths with over 90 per cent effectiveness. Members of the public who are currently eligible for a third dose should get the third dose as soon as possible. Furthermore, in response to the latest advice from experts, we have started the administration of the fourth vaccine dose for persons aged 60 or above who have received three doses of the Comirnaty or the CoronaVac vaccine. They may receive the fourth dose at least three months after their last dose. Members of the public who are eligible for a fourth dose should get it as soon as possible to further enhance protection. On the other hand, the minimum age for receiving the CoronaVac vaccine has been lowered to 3 years old, while the minimum age for receiving the Comirnaty vaccine is 5 years old. We call on parents to arrange vaccination for their children as early as possible for better protection," a Government spokesman said.

Note 1: Provisional figures. In the preceding week till 11.59pm on May 1, the DH did not receive any reports of suspected myocarditis or pericarditis involving adolescents in the age group of 3 to 15.

Note 2: The percentage of population with vaccine doses may be different from previous statistics as the population base has been updated with the provisional estimate of the end-year population for 2021 provided by the Census and Statistics Department

Note 3: In the preceding week till 11.59pm on May 1, the DH received three death reports involving individuals who had received COVID-19 vaccination within 14 days before passing away. The cases involved three males aged from 55 to 77. There is no clinical evidence that the incidents arose from vaccination.

     A spokesman for the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO) said today (May 4) that the new version 3.2.3 of the "LeaveHomeSafe" mobile app is now available for update to fix the intermittent problem with the display of the Vaccine Pass QR code in the mobile phones of some users. Members of the public can now update the app in different app stores.

     The spokesman said that some users previouslyencountered intermittent problems in retrieving the stored Vaccine Pass QR code under some specific circumstances when scanning the venue QR code, resulting in an error in displaying a red QR code of "No Vaccination Record". The OGCIO took urgent follow-up action and released the latest version 3.2.3 in all platforms today to fix the issue. The latest version also supports the storage of the "Provisional Vaccine Pass" QR code to facilitate travallers on short-term visit to Hong Kong to enter the specified premises under the Vaccine Pass arrangement.

     The spokesman reminded members of the public to update the "LeaveHomeSafe" mobile app through App Store, Google Play or Huawei AppGallery directly and refrain from deleting the old version. Updating the app will not affect previous visit records saved in users' mobile phones.

     If members of the public encounter any difficulties in using the "LeaveHomeSafe" mobile app, they can seek assistance from the mobile support stations of the OGCIO at 25 MTR stations. For details, please visit the thematic webpage of LeaveHomeSafe at www.leavehomesafe.gov.hk/en/.