Tag Archives: China

     The Government yesterday (April 30) 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 3pm yesterday, under which people (hereafter referred to as “persons subject to compulsory testing”) within the specified “restricted area” in Ap Lei Chau (i.e. Tung On House, Lei Tung Estate, Ap Lei Chau, excluding social service unit and car park thereat) 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.
 
     In addition, the Government issued a compulsory testing notice yesterday to any person who had been present at the above building for more than two hours from April 24 to 30, 2022, to undergo compulsory testing on or before May 2, 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 11am today (May 1) 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 11am today, persons in the specified “restricted area” in Ap Lei Chau who have undergone testing and are able to present SMS notifications with negative test results and wear wristbands 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. 1 541 people within the area had undergone testing, among which five cases tested positive were found. The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health will arrange to follow up.
 
     The Government provided food packs for persons subject to compulsory testing so as to facilitate the meal arrangements of persons subject to compulsory testing. Rapid antigen test kits, as well as anti-epidemic proprietary Chinese medicines supplied by the Central People’s Government, were also provided to persons subject to compulsory testing to help them fight against the virus.

     Moreover, the Government also assigned staff to visit 800 households within the “restricted area”, among which 103 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 may be liable to a fine of level 5 ($50,000) and imprisonment for six months. read more

     The Government yesterday (April 30) 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 3pm yesterday, under which people (hereafter referred to as “persons subject to compulsory testing”) within the specified “restricted area” in Ap Lei Chau (i.e. Tung On House, Lei Tung Estate, Ap Lei Chau, excluding social service unit and car park thereat) 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.
 
     In addition, the Government issued a compulsory testing notice yesterday to any person who had been present at the above building for more than two hours from April 24 to 30, 2022, to undergo compulsory testing on or before May 2, 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 11am today (May 1) 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 11am today, persons in the specified “restricted area” in Ap Lei Chau who have undergone testing and are able to present SMS notifications with negative test results and wear wristbands 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. 1 541 people within the area had undergone testing, among which five cases tested positive were found. The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health will arrange to follow up.
 
     The Government provided food packs for persons subject to compulsory testing so as to facilitate the meal arrangements of persons subject to compulsory testing. Rapid antigen test kits, as well as anti-epidemic proprietary Chinese medicines supplied by the Central People’s Government, were also provided to persons subject to compulsory testing to help them fight against the virus.

     Moreover, the Government also assigned staff to visit 697 households within the “restricted area”, among which 103 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 may be liable to a fine of level 5 ($50,000) and imprisonment for six months. read more

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

     The Liquor Licensing Board (LLB) will meet on Tuesday (May 3) to consider an application for new issue of liquor licence.

     The application is:

Hong Kong:
—————
BLUE BOTTLE COFFEE HONG KONG LIMITED in Central

     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. read more

     The Government today (May 1) said that apart from the existing four Stored Value Facility (SVF) operators, two more operators have been selected to assist in implementing the 2022 (Phase II) Consumption Voucher Scheme (CVS).

     The Financial Secretary announced in the 2022-23 Budget the implementation of a new round of CVS (the Scheme) to disburse to each eligible person electronic consumption vouchers with a total value of $10,000 by instalment. The Scheme will be implemented by two phases. In order to relieve the economic burden of people due to the fifth wave of the epidemic, the Government has made use of the data of 2021 CVS to disburse $5,000 vouchers under Phase I to about 6.3 million people on April 7 (Note).

     The Government is actively making preparation for Phase II of the Scheme. The number of SVF operators selected to assist in disbursing vouchers for Phase II will be increased to six, including AlipayHK, BoC Pay, Octopus, PayMe from HSBC, Tap & Go and WeChat Pay HK. The Government is discussing with the relevant operators on the detailed arrangements, including system design, detailed procedures, etc, and will announce the details of Phase II as soon as possible. The target is to commence registration in the middle of this year.

     The Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, said “With last year’s experience, the disbursement of vouchers assisted by the four SVF operators in April under Phase I of the Scheme has been smoother. With the development of the market, the number of operators suitable for assisting in disbursement of vouchers has increased, thereby expanding the choice of SVFs, encouraging healthy competition, bringing more incentives to people and merchants, boosting consumer sentiment and further promoting the development of the electronic payment market.

     “When identifying the SVF operators, the Government has taken into consideration a basket of factors. Apart from the operator’s relevant experience, we have also considered the popularity of their SVF or e-wallet, their technical capacity, the preparation time required, etc, and consulted the Hong Kong Monetary Authority.”

     Mr Chan said, “I have requested all the participating operators to provide assistance to those small business operators and sectors severely affected by the epidemic through rebates and promotional activities so as to benefit consumers and the relevant merchants. The operators will announce the details in due course.”
 
Note:
People using AlipayHK, Tap & Go or WeChat Pay HK to receive consumption vouchers have received on April 7 a voucher of $5,000 with an expiry date of October 31.
 
People using Octopus to receive consumption vouchers will receive the vouchers in two instalments. The first voucher of $4,000 was disbursed on April 7 and the second voucher will be disbursed on the 16th of the following month after the cumulative total “eligible spending” has reached $4,000 (the earliest date is June 16). The relevant cumulative total “eligible spending” has to be reached by October 31 the latest. read more

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:        As the service demand situation of public hospitals has gradually returned to stable level, the Hospital Authority (HA) will cease to release the daily … read more