The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     The Hospital Authority (HA) spokesperson today (April 29) said that due to the activation of some general out-patient clinics (GOPCs) as designated clinics for confirmed cases of COVID-19, and the service adjustment of some GOPCs in order to focus manpower and resources to support the services of the designated clinics, five GOPCs (see table below) will provide public holiday GOPC services on the holiday following Labour Day (May 2). Members of the public are reminded to make an advance booking for an appointment either through the telephone appointment system or the "Book GOPC" function on the "HA Go" mobile application.

     The spokesperson remarked that the 23 designated clinics for confirmed cases of COVID-19 will also operate during the public holiday to help provide treatment for confirmed patients in the community presenting with relatively mild symptoms of infection, especially high risk patients, requiring medical advice and treatment to soothe their symptoms. These patients can make an appointment with a designated clinic either through calling the selected designated clinic (i.e. general booking telephone line or "care booking line") during the booking and service hours or using the "Book DC" function on the "HA Go" mobile application.

     The spokesperson reminded the public that the Emergency Response Level has been activated in public hospitals and infection control measures have been enhanced with universal masking for all persons entering public hospitals and clinics. The public should continue to stay vigilant during the holiday. They should maintain personal and environmental hygiene to prevent infection and spreading of the virus in the community. The public should seek medical advice early for respiratory symptoms. Moreover, members of the public should also receive COVID-19 vaccination as early as possible.

     Members of the public can obtain specimen collection packs for COVID-19 tests during the holiday or submit specimens at three GOPCs (see table below) within the specified time. The public can also obtain specimen collection packs at selected post offices or MTR stations. For details, please visit the website: www.coronavirus.gov.hk/eng/early-testing.html.

 GOPC service arrangements on the holiday following Labour Day (May 2)

Service hours:
9am to 1pm and 2pm to 5pm

* General out-patient clinics to distribute specimen collection packs and collect specimens for COVID-19 tests
Specimen collection packs distribution time: from 9am (while stocks last)
Specimen collection time: 9am to 11am

     The Government yesterday (April 28) 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 4.30pm yesterday, under which people (hereafter referred to as "persons subject to compulsory testing") within the specified "restricted area" in Wong Tai Sin ( i.e. Chi Mei House, Choi Hung Estate, Wong Tai Sin, excluding non-domestic units 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.
 
     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 April 22 to April 28, 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 April 30, 2022.
 
     The Government finished the compulsory testing exercise at around 8am today (April 29) 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.
 
     The Government delivered food packs to persons subject to compulsory testing to facilitate their meal arrangements. Anti-epidemic proprietary Chinese medicines supplied by 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 tireless efforts of the testing contractors, 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 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 10am. Test records of about 330 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 contact the Government for arrangement of testing 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.

     The Civil Engineering and Development Department (CEDD) today (April 29) gazetted a notice to invite tenders for the contract for Site Formation and Infrastructure Works for Public Housing Development at ex-Mount Davis Cottage Area in Kennedy Town (Contract No. SD/2022/01). The closing time for the tender is noon on June 24.
     
     The works mainly include:
•  site formation works and construction of associated retaining structures and slopes;
• construction of a footbridge with associated lift facilities across Victoria Road, and associated footpath;
• construction of a lay-by at Victoria Road and associated road improvement works; and
• ancillary works including drainage, sewerage, waterworks and landscaping works.
 
     The works are scheduled to commence in the fourth quarter of this year and will take about 38 months to complete.
     
     The CEDD has commissioned Binnies Hong Kong Limited to design and supervise the works. Interested contractors may obtain the forms of tender and further particulars from the company at 43/F, AIA Kowloon Tower, 100 How Ming Street, Kwun Tong, Kowloon.
     
     Details of the tender notice are available at the CEDD's website (www.cedd.gov.hk/eng/tender-notices/contracts/tender-notices/index.html). For enquiries, please call Binnies Hong Kong Limited at 2601 1000 during office hours.

     The Government published a notice in the Gazette today (April 29) on the modifications to the road works at Tan Kwai Tsuen in Yuen Long. The works have been authorised by the Chief Executive in Council.

     Details of the works are set out in the Annex. The modifications involve minor adjustment of the proposed road alignment. The modification plan is available for public inspection at the following government offices during office hours:

Central and Western Home Affairs Enquiry Centre,
G/F, Harbour Building,
38 Pier Road, Central, Hong Kong

Yuen Long Home Affairs Enquiry Centre,
G/F, Yuen Long District Office Building,
269 Castle Peak Road, Yuen Long, New Territories

Tuen Mun Home Affairs Enquiry Centre,
2/F, Tuen Mun Government Offices,
1 Tuen Hi Road, Tuen Mun, New Territories

District Lands Office, Yuen Long,
9/F, Yuen Long Government Offices,
2 Kiu Lok Square, Yuen Long, New Territories
 
District Lands Office, Tuen Mun,
6/F, Tuen Mun Government Offices,
1 Tuen Hi Road, Tuen Mun, New Territories

     Further enquiries can be addressed to the Civil Engineering Office, Civil Engineering and Development Department, 5/F, Civil Engineering and Development Building, 101 Princess Margaret Road, Ho Man Tin, Kowloon, or can be made by telephone on 2760 5841.

     Hongkong Post will adjust its mail delivery services with effect from May 16. While a full range of mail delivery services currently provided from Monday to Friday will be maintained, only express delivery, viz. Speedpost and Local CourierPost service, will be available on Saturday. The post office counter services and other postal services, which include pick-up services of Speedpost and Local CourierPost items, street posting boxes, and iPostal Stations collection will remain unchanged.
      
     A spokesman for Hongkong Post today (April 29) said, "With the development of information technologies, email, Short Message Service and mobile applications have become major means of communication. Almost 90 per cent of the ordinary mail processed by Hongkong Post are commercial items. The operation mode of the business sector has also changed in view of the gradual implementation of a five-day work week in many commercial enterprises.
      
     "On the other hand, Hongkong Post has been actively expanding its network of self-service posting and collection facilities in recent years. More than 140 iPostal Station self-collection facilities have been set up in various districts in Hong Kong to provide convenient postal services that enable the public to collect mail items at the time and location of their choice. Therefore, the adjustment of the mail delivery services at this time is an appropriate arrangement."
      
     For information about the adjustment of mail delivery services and iPostal Station, please visit Hongkong Post's website (www.hongkongpost.hk) or call enquiry hotline 2921 2222.