The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) continued to take stringent enforcement actions relating to anti-epidemic regulations. Apart from stepping up inspections in various districts in the past two days (March 27 and 28), joint operations with the Police were also conducted in Kowloon City, Kwai Tsing, Sai Kung and Wan Chai. Stringent enforcement actions were taken against offenders. The FEHD today (March 29) again reminded catering business operators to remain vigilant and strictly comply with the directions under the Prevention and Control of Disease (Requirements and Directions) (Business and Premises) Regulation (Cap. 599F) (the Regulation).
      
     A total of 106 catering premises were inspected during the joint operations, while 1088 catering premises and 250 other premises were inspected by the FEHD on its own in the past two days. The FEHD initiated procedures on prosecution against 14 catering business operators suspected of breaching the requirements under the Regulation (among them, nine were related to failure to arrange all staff to undergo COVID-19 test once every 14 days, the remaining six were related to distance or partition between tables, the total number of customers allowed in catering premises exceeding 50 per cent of the normal seating capacity, mahjong activity and mask wearing. Among them, one operator were related to breaching the testing requirement and the mask wearing requirement at the same time). Since the relevant requirements or restrictions were not adopted, on the subsequent day of being identified by the enforcement agent, corresponding measures for reducing the risk of transmission (i.e. selling or supplying food or drink for consumption on the premises must be ceased from 6pm to 4.59am of the subsequent day, and no more than two persons may be seated together at one table) had to be taken by the premises for periods of three days (1 case), seven (4 cases) and 14 days (9 cases).
      
     According to the current directions issued by the Secretary for Food and Health in relation to catering premises under the Regulation, if a person responsible for carrying on a catering business adopts a series of infection control measures, the premises can provide dine-in service until 9.59pm and no more than four persons may be seated together at one table. Some of the scheduled premises such as places of public entertainment may be open when the relevant requirements and restrictions are fulfilled. If a person responsible for carrying on a catering business or scheduled premises contravenes the regulations under the Regulation, he or she is liable to prosecution and, upon conviction, to a maximum fine of $50,000 and imprisonment for six months.
      
     In addition, customers within catering premises in breach of the requirement on maximum number of persons seated together at one table are liable to a fixed penalty of $5,000 for violating the Prevention and Control of Disease (Prohibition on Group Gathering) Regulation (Cap. 599G) while customers not wearing a mask when they are not eating or drinking at a table therein or they are not eating or drinking otherwise are liable to a fixed penalty of $5,000 for contravening the Prevention and Control of Disease (Wearing of Mask) Regulation (Cap. 599I).

     To minimise the risk of transmission of COVID-19, the spokesman strongly appealed to catering business operators to comply with the relevant regulations on prevention and control of disease in a concerted and persistent manner. He also reminded the operators concerned and members of the public to exercise self-discipline and co-operate to fight the virus together.

     The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) continued to take stringent enforcement actions relating to anti-epidemic regulations. Apart from stepping up inspections in various districts in the past two days (March 27 and 28), joint operations with the Police were also conducted in Kowloon City, Kwai Tsing, Sai Kung and Wan Chai. Stringent enforcement actions were taken against offenders. The FEHD today (March 29) again reminded catering business operators to remain vigilant and strictly comply with the directions under the Prevention and Control of Disease (Requirements and Directions) (Business and Premises) Regulation (Cap. 599F) (the Regulation).
      
     A total of 106 catering premises were inspected during the joint operations, while 1088 catering premises and 250 other premises were inspected by the FEHD on its own in the past two days. The FEHD initiated procedures on prosecution against 14 catering business operators suspected of breaching the requirements under the Regulation (among them, nine were related to failure to arrange all staff to undergo COVID-19 test once every 14 days, the remaining six were related to distance or partition between tables, the total number of customers allowed in catering premises exceeding 50 per cent of the normal seating capacity, mahjong activity and mask wearing. Among them, one operator were related to breaching the testing requirement and the mask wearing requirement at the same time). Since the relevant requirements or restrictions were not adopted, on the subsequent day of being identified by the enforcement agent, corresponding measures for reducing the risk of transmission (i.e. selling or supplying food or drink for consumption on the premises must be ceased from 6pm to 4.59am of the subsequent day, and no more than two persons may be seated together at one table) had to be taken by the premises for periods of three days (1 case), seven (4 cases) and 14 days (9 cases).
      
     According to the current directions issued by the Secretary for Food and Health in relation to catering premises under the Regulation, if a person responsible for carrying on a catering business adopts a series of infection control measures, the premises can provide dine-in service until 9.59pm and no more than four persons may be seated together at one table. Some of the scheduled premises such as places of public entertainment may be open when the relevant requirements and restrictions are fulfilled. If a person responsible for carrying on a catering business or scheduled premises contravenes the regulations under the Regulation, he or she is liable to prosecution and, upon conviction, to a maximum fine of $50,000 and imprisonment for six months.
      
     In addition, customers within catering premises in breach of the requirement on maximum number of persons seated together at one table are liable to a fixed penalty of $5,000 for violating the Prevention and Control of Disease (Prohibition on Group Gathering) Regulation (Cap. 599G) while customers not wearing a mask when they are not eating or drinking at a table therein or they are not eating or drinking otherwise are liable to a fixed penalty of $5,000 for contravening the Prevention and Control of Disease (Wearing of Mask) Regulation (Cap. 599I).

     To minimise the risk of transmission of COVID-19, the spokesman strongly appealed to catering business operators to comply with the relevant regulations on prevention and control of disease in a concerted and persistent manner. He also reminded the operators concerned and members of the public to exercise self-discipline and co-operate to fight the virus together.

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     Regarding an earlier announcement on a cluster of patients confirmed to be carriers of Multi-Drug Resistant Acinetobacter (MDRA) in medical wards, the spokesperson for Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital made the following update today (March 29):
 
     In accordance with prevailing guideline, the hospital has commenced contact tracing and confirmed seven more patients (six males and one female, aged 82 to 102) in the medical wards to be the carriers of MDRA. Four patients are currently under medical surveillance and isolation treatment with stable condition. Two patients have been discharged and one patient has passed away due to underlying disease.
 
     Following the activation of Emergency Response Level in public hospitals, visiting arrangement has been suspended. The following infection control measures have been stepped up according to established guidelines:
 
     1. Enhanced cleaning and disinfection of wards concerned;
     2. Applied stringent contact precautions and enhanced hand hygiene of staff and patients; and
     3. Enhanced patient and environmental screening procedures.
 
     The hospital will continue to closely monitor the situation in the concerned wards. The cases have been reported to the Hospital Authority Head Office and the Centre for Health Protection for necessary follow-up.

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     Regarding an earlier announcement on a cluster of patients confirmed to be carriers of Multi-Drug Resistant Acinetobacter (MDRA) in medical wards, the spokesperson for Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital made the following update today (March 29):
 
     In accordance with prevailing guideline, the hospital has commenced contact tracing and confirmed seven more patients (six males and one female, aged 82 to 102) in the medical wards to be the carriers of MDRA. Four patients are currently under medical surveillance and isolation treatment with stable condition. Two patients have been discharged and one patient has passed away due to underlying disease.
 
     Following the activation of Emergency Response Level in public hospitals, visiting arrangement has been suspended. The following infection control measures have been stepped up according to established guidelines:
 
     1. Enhanced cleaning and disinfection of wards concerned;
     2. Applied stringent contact precautions and enhanced hand hygiene of staff and patients; and
     3. Enhanced patient and environmental screening procedures.
 
     The hospital will continue to closely monitor the situation in the concerned wards. The cases have been reported to the Hospital Authority Head Office and the Centre for Health Protection for necessary follow-up.

The following is issued on behalf of the Legislative Council Secretariat:

     At the invitation of the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority (WKCDA), the Legislative Council (LegCo) Joint Subcommittee to Monitor the Implementation of the West Kowloon Cultural District Project (Joint Subcommittee) visited the West Kowloon Cultural District (WKCD) today (March 29) to better understand the latest development of the WKCD Project.

     Members first arrived the M+ Museum and received a briefing on the latest progress of the WKCD Project by the Acting Chief Executive Officer of WKCDA, Mrs Betty Fung. Afterwards, with the company of the Chairman of the Board of WKCDA, Mr Henry Tang; Mrs Betty Fung; and the Secretary for Home Affairs, Mr Caspar Tsui, Members took a tour in the M+ Museum, the first global museum of contemporary visual culture in Asia which is set to open to the public at the end of this year, to see for themselves the major facilities and architectural features of the M+ Museum Building.

     Members then visited the "Freespace" to understand the operation of food and beverage facilities which provide live music performance.

     In addition, Members paid a visit to the construction site of the Hong Kong Palace Museum (HKPM) to obtain the latest update on the construction works and exchanged views with representatives of WKCDA on the arrangement after the opening of HKPM.

     Members who participated in the visit are the Chairman of the Joint Subcommittee, Mr Lau Kwok-fan; Joint Subcommittee members Mr Holden Chow, Mr Kenneth Lau, Dr Cheng Chung-tai and Mr Vincent Cheng; as well as non-Joint Subcommittee member Ms Yung Hoi-yan.

     The Joint Subcommittee is a subcommittee formed under the LegCo Panel on Development and the LegCo Panel on Home Affairs.