â€‹The Labour Department (LD) today (May 26) reminded operators of employment agencies (EAs) to conduct their business in compliance with the law and the requirements of the Code of Practice (CoP) for EAs at all times.

     The LD has revoked the EA licence of Earnest Employment Consultants located in Causeway Bay. Prosecution was taken out against a related person of the EA for overcharging a foreign domestic helper and a bind over order was issued by the court.

     Under section 53(1)(d)(ii) of the Employment Ordinance (EO), the Commissioner for Labour may revoke the licence of an EA if he is satisfied that a related person of the licensee has contravened any provision of Part XII or any regulation made under section 62 of the EO.

     "The Employment (Amendment) Ordinance 2018, which came into effect on February 9, 2018, stipulates that the Commissioner may refuse to issue or renew a licence, or may revoke a licence, if he is satisfied on reasonable grounds that the licensee or the person intending to be the licensee of an EA, or a related person of or an individual employed by the licensee or the person intending to be the licensee, has contravened any provision of Part XII or any regulation made under section 62 of the EO, such as overcharging job seekers or operating an EA without a licence, or has not complied with the CoP issued under section 62A(1) of the EO," a spokesman for the LD said.

     The LD has revoked the licences of a total of six EAs since 2020, including the above case.

     For enquiries about matters related to EAs or complaints about alleged malpractices, please call the Employment Agencies Administration of the LD at 2115 3667, or visit its office at Unit 906, 9/F, One Mong Kok Road Commercial Centre, 1 Mong Kok Road, Kowloon.

     â€‹The Labour Department (LD) today (May 26) reminded operators of employment agencies (EAs) to conduct their business in compliance with the law and the requirements of the Code of Practice (CoP) for EAs at all times.

     The LD has revoked the EA licence of Earnest Employment Consultants located in Causeway Bay. Prosecution was taken out against a related person of the EA for overcharging a foreign domestic helper and a bind over order was issued by the court.

     Under section 53(1)(d)(ii) of the Employment Ordinance (EO), the Commissioner for Labour may revoke the licence of an EA if he is satisfied that a related person of the licensee has contravened any provision of Part XII or any regulation made under section 62 of the EO.

     "The Employment (Amendment) Ordinance 2018, which came into effect on February 9, 2018, stipulates that the Commissioner may refuse to issue or renew a licence, or may revoke a licence, if he is satisfied on reasonable grounds that the licensee or the person intending to be the licensee of an EA, or a related person of or an individual employed by the licensee or the person intending to be the licensee, has contravened any provision of Part XII or any regulation made under section 62 of the EO, such as overcharging job seekers or operating an EA without a licence, or has not complied with the CoP issued under section 62A(1) of the EO," a spokesman for the LD said.

     The LD has revoked the licences of a total of six EAs since 2020, including the above case.

     For enquiries about matters related to EAs or complaints about alleged malpractices, please call the Employment Agencies Administration of the LD at 2115 3667, or visit its office at Unit 906, 9/F, One Mong Kok Road Commercial Centre, 1 Mong Kok Road, Kowloon.

     â€‹Following is a question by the Hon Chung Kwok-pan and a written reply by the Secretary for Food and Health, Professor Sophia Chan, in the Legislative Council today (May 26):
      
Question:
 
     The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic has been lingering on for over one year. So far, more than 11 000 people in Hong Kong have been confirmed to have contracted the disease, and most of them have recovered and been discharged from hospitals. The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health has indicated earlier on that according to experts' opinion, immunity to the virus may usually last for at least six to nine months for persons who have recovered from COVID-19 (recovered patients), and they will be adequately protected by receiving only one dose of BioNTech vaccine at least 90 days after discharge or one dose of Sinovac vaccine six months after recovery, and they need not receive two doses of the vaccine as other members of the public do. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) whether it has compiled statistics on the respective up-to-date numbers of recovered patients who have received one dose and two doses of COVID-19 vaccine;
 
(2) whether any mechanism is in place under the COVID-19 Vaccination Programme to distinguish (including (i) at the time of members of the public booking an appointment and (ii) prior to their receiving a vaccine at a Community Vaccination Centre/designated clinic) recovered patients from other persons, and to inform recovered patients that they need to receive only one dose of vaccine after a specified date and they need not receive two doses of vaccine;
 
(3) whether it has studied the impacts of recovered patients receiving two doses of vaccine on their health (including the side effects and negative effects); whether it has assessed if it would be a waste of vaccines for recovered patients with antibodies to COVID-19 in their bodies to receive a second dose of vaccine; if it has, of the assessment outcome; and
 
(4) as some recovered patients who have received one dose of vaccine have pointed out that as their vaccination records do not show that they are recovered patients, they are regarded as not having completed the two-dose vaccination, whether it has studied if this situation will hinder recovered patients from enjoying the travel convenience to be offered under measures such as Air Travel Bubble or vaccine passports in future to those who have completed vaccination; if it has, of the study outcome?
 
Reply:
 
President,
 
     To safeguard public health and to allow the gradual resumption of normal operation of the society, the Government is implementing a territory-wide COVID-19 Vaccination Programme (the Vaccination Programme) free of charge and on a voluntary basis for all Hong Kong residents, including persons who have recovered from previous COVID-19 infection.
      
     My consolidated reply to the various parts of the question raised by the Hon Chung Kwok-pan is as follows:
      
     Currently, there are around 11 800 persons who have recovered from COVID-19 infection in Hong Kong. As at May 13, 2021, 1 472 recovered persons had completed the COVID-19 vaccination course (received at least the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine) after being discharged from hospital.
 
     The two vaccines provided by the Government under the Vaccination Programme are respectively Comirnaty developed from the mRNA technology platform and the CoronaVac developed from the inactivated virus technology platform. According to the latest advice by the Scientific Committee on Vaccine Preventable Diseases and the Scientific Committee on Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases (the Joint Scientific Committee) under the Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health and the Chief Executive's expert advisory panel, those previously infected with COVID-19 would be further protected by one dose of COVID-19 vaccine. Recovered persons who wish to receive Comirnaty should wait for at least 90 days after discharge from previous infection. If they wish to receive CoronaVac, they should wait for at least 180 days after discharge from previous infection. After vaccination, recovered persons may experience more systemic side effects, such as fatigue, headache, chills, muscle pain, fever and joint pain, when compared to those without previous infection.
 
     The Government announced on May 21, 2021 the arrangement of COVID-19 vaccinations for persons with previous COVID-19 infection. Under the relevant arrangement, the Government will notify via SMS messages those who have been discharged after recovery from previous COVID-19 infection and have not yet received any COVID-19 vaccine that they can receive a dose of COVID-19 vaccine at any Community Vaccination Centre (CVC) or private clinic enrolled under the Vaccination Programme. The Hospital Authority will also provide a customised factsheet on COVID-19 vaccination outlining the relevant vaccination arrangement to those recovered persons upon discharge from hospital. Those recovered persons can bring along the SMS message/factsheet concerned and go directly to any CVC or private doctor enrolled under the Vaccination Programme to make enquiries and arrange for vaccination following the recommended interval. No prior online booking via the online booking system for the Vaccination Programme is required.
 
     As regards the various relaxations on social distancing measures under the concept of a "vaccine bubble", those recovered persons will be regarded to have completed the vaccination course 14 days after one dose of COVID-19 vaccination and a special arrangement will be made to reflect such a condition on their paper and electronic record of vaccination. Meanwhile, if the recovered persons have already received one dose of COVID-19 vaccine after discharge and have an appointment for the second dose, the Government will cancel the second-dose appointment for them. Recovered patients who have received one dose of vaccine can contact the service provider of their vaccination earlier to request to obtain the updated paper record of vaccination. Their electronic vaccine record will also be updated automatically.

     â€‹Following is a question by the Hon Chung Kwok-pan and a written reply by the Secretary for Food and Health, Professor Sophia Chan, in the Legislative Council today (May 26):
      
Question:
 
     The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic has been lingering on for over one year. So far, more than 11 000 people in Hong Kong have been confirmed to have contracted the disease, and most of them have recovered and been discharged from hospitals. The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health has indicated earlier on that according to experts' opinion, immunity to the virus may usually last for at least six to nine months for persons who have recovered from COVID-19 (recovered patients), and they will be adequately protected by receiving only one dose of BioNTech vaccine at least 90 days after discharge or one dose of Sinovac vaccine six months after recovery, and they need not receive two doses of the vaccine as other members of the public do. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) whether it has compiled statistics on the respective up-to-date numbers of recovered patients who have received one dose and two doses of COVID-19 vaccine;
 
(2) whether any mechanism is in place under the COVID-19 Vaccination Programme to distinguish (including (i) at the time of members of the public booking an appointment and (ii) prior to their receiving a vaccine at a Community Vaccination Centre/designated clinic) recovered patients from other persons, and to inform recovered patients that they need to receive only one dose of vaccine after a specified date and they need not receive two doses of vaccine;
 
(3) whether it has studied the impacts of recovered patients receiving two doses of vaccine on their health (including the side effects and negative effects); whether it has assessed if it would be a waste of vaccines for recovered patients with antibodies to COVID-19 in their bodies to receive a second dose of vaccine; if it has, of the assessment outcome; and
 
(4) as some recovered patients who have received one dose of vaccine have pointed out that as their vaccination records do not show that they are recovered patients, they are regarded as not having completed the two-dose vaccination, whether it has studied if this situation will hinder recovered patients from enjoying the travel convenience to be offered under measures such as Air Travel Bubble or vaccine passports in future to those who have completed vaccination; if it has, of the study outcome?
 
Reply:
 
President,
 
     To safeguard public health and to allow the gradual resumption of normal operation of the society, the Government is implementing a territory-wide COVID-19 Vaccination Programme (the Vaccination Programme) free of charge and on a voluntary basis for all Hong Kong residents, including persons who have recovered from previous COVID-19 infection.
      
     My consolidated reply to the various parts of the question raised by the Hon Chung Kwok-pan is as follows:
      
     Currently, there are around 11 800 persons who have recovered from COVID-19 infection in Hong Kong. As at May 13, 2021, 1 472 recovered persons had completed the COVID-19 vaccination course (received at least the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine) after being discharged from hospital.
 
     The two vaccines provided by the Government under the Vaccination Programme are respectively Comirnaty developed from the mRNA technology platform and the CoronaVac developed from the inactivated virus technology platform. According to the latest advice by the Scientific Committee on Vaccine Preventable Diseases and the Scientific Committee on Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases (the Joint Scientific Committee) under the Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health and the Chief Executive's expert advisory panel, those previously infected with COVID-19 would be further protected by one dose of COVID-19 vaccine. Recovered persons who wish to receive Comirnaty should wait for at least 90 days after discharge from previous infection. If they wish to receive CoronaVac, they should wait for at least 180 days after discharge from previous infection. After vaccination, recovered persons may experience more systemic side effects, such as fatigue, headache, chills, muscle pain, fever and joint pain, when compared to those without previous infection.
 
     The Government announced on May 21, 2021 the arrangement of COVID-19 vaccinations for persons with previous COVID-19 infection. Under the relevant arrangement, the Government will notify via SMS messages those who have been discharged after recovery from previous COVID-19 infection and have not yet received any COVID-19 vaccine that they can receive a dose of COVID-19 vaccine at any Community Vaccination Centre (CVC) or private clinic enrolled under the Vaccination Programme. The Hospital Authority will also provide a customised factsheet on COVID-19 vaccination outlining the relevant vaccination arrangement to those recovered persons upon discharge from hospital. Those recovered persons can bring along the SMS message/factsheet concerned and go directly to any CVC or private doctor enrolled under the Vaccination Programme to make enquiries and arrange for vaccination following the recommended interval. No prior online booking via the online booking system for the Vaccination Programme is required.
 
     As regards the various relaxations on social distancing measures under the concept of a "vaccine bubble", those recovered persons will be regarded to have completed the vaccination course 14 days after one dose of COVID-19 vaccination and a special arrangement will be made to reflect such a condition on their paper and electronic record of vaccination. Meanwhile, if the recovered persons have already received one dose of COVID-19 vaccine after discharge and have an appointment for the second dose, the Government will cancel the second-dose appointment for them. Recovered patients who have received one dose of vaccine can contact the service provider of their vaccination earlier to request to obtain the updated paper record of vaccination. Their electronic vaccine record will also be updated automatically.

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     As at 9am today (May 26), one COVID-19 confirmed patient (case number: 11815) was discharged from hospital in the last 24 hours. So far, a total of 11 561 patients with confirmed or probable infection have been discharged.
 
     At present, there are 619 negative pressure rooms in public hospitals with 1 130 negative pressure beds activated. A total of 34 confirmed patients are currently hospitalised in 13 public hospitals and the North Lantau Hospital Hong Kong Infection Control Centre, among which one patient (case number: 6794) is in critical condition, one (case number: 9907) is in serious condition and the remaining 32 patients are in stable condition.
 
     The Hospital Authority will maintain close contact with the Centre for Health Protection to monitor the latest developments and to inform the public and healthcare workers on the latest information in a timely manner.