Tag Archives: China

     â€‹The Labour Department today (May 6) reminded foreign domestic helpers (FDHs) to be tested for COVID-19 as soon as possible.
      
     The Government announced on April 30 that all FDHs in Hong Kong who had yet to complete a COVID-19 vaccination course are required to receive testing on a compulsory basis on or before May 9. Specimens were collected for more than 201 000 FDHs from May 1 to 4 at community testing centres (CTCs) and mobile specimen collection stations. As of May 4, more than 130 000 FDHs have reserved time slots at CTCs for receiving the test from May 5 to 9. 
      
     A spokesman for the Labour Department said, “We remind FDHs who are subject to compulsory testing to be tested as soon as possible. To avoid long wait times on the weekend, we encourage FDHs to receive testing today (May 6) and tomorrow (May 7) as far as possible. We appeal to employers to allow their FDHs to receive testing on a weekday.”
      
     For FDHs who have yet to receive their testing, they can make use of the service provided at CTCs and mobile specimen collection stations in the coming few days. Details can be found in the Food and Health Bureau’s press release of May 5 (www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202105/05/P2021050500844.htm). 
      
     The Government thanks all FDHs and their employers for their understanding and co-operation with the anti-epidemic measures. read more

     Three managers responsible for the management of a piece of ancestral land were convicted and fined $60,000 in total at the Tuen Mun Magistrates’ Courts last week for failing to comply with a dangerous hillside order issued under the Buildings Ordinance (BO) (Cap. 123).
         
     The case involved two slopes and a retaining wall within a private lot in Yuen Long with a total length of about 90 metres and heights varying from 5m to 6m. Since the slopes and the retaining wall were liable to become dangerous, the Buildings Department (BD) served a dangerous hillside order on the owner of the land under section 27A of the BO, requiring the owner to appoint an authorized person (AP) and a registered geotechnical engineer (RGE) to co-ordinate and supervise the remedial works proposal approved by the BD within two months from the date of the order and to complete the required works within seven months.
         
     The owner appointed an AP and an RGE to follow up on the order. However, the remedial works were not completed within a reasonable period despite repeated reminders issued by the BD. The AP’s name was later removed from the Authorized Persons’ Register but the owner has not appointed another AP to follow up with the required works. The BD instigated prosecution against the three managers. They were convicted and each fined $20,000 at the Tuen Mun Magistrates’ Courts on April 30.
         
     “Failing to comply with a dangerous hillside order without reasonable excuse is a serious offence under the BO and may lead to serious consequences. The BD may instigate prosecution proceedings against the owner,” a spokesman of the BD said today (May 6). He added that the department will continue its enforcement action against non-compliance with dangerous hillside orders to ensure public safety.
         
     Pursuant to section 40(1B)(b) of the BO, any person who, without reasonable excuse, fails to comply with a dangerous hillside order served on him or her under section 27A of the BO commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine of level 5 ($50,000 at present) and to imprisonment for one year, as well as a further fine of $5,000 for each day that the offence has continued. read more

Attention TV/radio announcers: Please broadcast the following as soon as possible: Here is an item of interest to swimmers.      The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced today (May 6) that due to big… read more

     The Government on 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 7… read more

     The Government will gazette today (May 5) the directions and specifications under the Prevention and Control of Disease (Requirements and Directions) (Business and Premises) Regulation (the Regulation) (Cap. 599F) to allow flexibility under the pre-requisite of fulfilling the “vaccine bubble” principle for catering premises to change their modes of operation according to the requirement in the remaining days of the current cycle of this round of social distancing measures. The relevant directions and specifications will take effect from 0.00am on May 6 till May 12 (the specified period).

     A spokesman for the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) said, “The Government notices that some catering premises are unable to choose type C or type D mode of operation at the start of the cycle on April 29, 2021, as their staff members are unable to receive vaccination in time. The Government understands that some operators hope to change their modes of operation expeditiously once their staff have received vaccination. Therefore, the Government has accepted the trade’s views on handling this flexibly.”

     According to the latest directions under the Regulation, catering businesses must display a notice showing the new mode of operation at the entrance of the catering premises before the change could take effect.

     The spokesman also reminded catering premises under type C or type D mode of operation that they must register relevant information, including the mode(s) of operation, number of staff completed the COVID-19 vaccination course and number of staff not suitable to receive COVID-19 vaccination, at the FEHD’s webpage. The two types of premises must also display a floor plan according to specified specifications at its entrance pursuant to the requirement, for differentiating and identifying different designated zones. The floor plan may be changed from time to time having regard to operational needs, but will take effect only after it has been displayed.

     In addition, the FEHD will add a tab on “frequently asked questions and answers” on its thematic webpage on “vaccine bubble” (www.fehd.gov.hk/english/events/covid19/vaccine_bubble.html) that seeks to help the trade and the public to understand the above measures and other operational details of “vaccine bubble”. Furthermore, a scanning app developed by the Government is now available at Google Play Store, Apple App Store and Huawei AppGallery for operators of premises to verify the authenticity of the QR codes of their customers’ vaccination or COVID-19 test records. This could be downloaded by smart phones of different operating systems for use. The name of the app is “QR Code Verification Scanner”, and its icon is shown at the Annex.

     The FEHD spokesman also reminded catering business operators that according to the prevailing directions under Cap. 599F, for staff of catering business undergoing a polymerase chain reaction-based nucleic acid test for COVID-19, the specimens collected must be through combined nasal and throat swabs. The staff concerned can continue to make use of the 21 community testing centres and mobile specimen collection stations across the territory for testing. For details, please refer to the webpage (www.coronavirus.gov.hk/eng/early-testing.html). read more