The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:
 
     During the winter surge, the Hospital Authority is closely monitoring the service demand of Accident and Emergency Departments and the occupancy rates in public hospitals. Key service statistics are being issued daily for public information. Details are in the appended table.

     Three charities have been issued Public Subscription Permits to hold flag sales on Hong Kong Island, in Kowloon and in the New Territories separately from 7am to 12.30pm today (March 27). The Social Welfare Department (SWD) has been informed by one of the charities that the regional flag-selling activity scheduled to be held by it today has been cancelled, a spokesman for the SWD said.
 
     Information on the regional flag-selling activities today is as follows:
 

 
     The contact information for the organisation that has cancelled its regional flag-selling activity today is as follows:
 

   
     Details of the charitable fund-raising activities, including any updated information, covered by the issued Public Subscription Permits have been published on the GovHK website (www.gov.hk/en/theme/fundraising/search). Permits for flag days containing information on contact methods of the flag-selling organisations and the approved flag-selling activities have also been uploaded to the SWD's website (www.swd.gov.hk/en/index/site_pubsvc/page_controlofc/sub_flagdays) for reference. For enquiries, please call the SWD's hotline at 2343 2255, or the designated hotline of the 1823 Call Centre at 3142 2678.
 
     In the case of suspected fraudulent flag day activities, people should not make any donation and should immediately report the matter to the Police, the spokesman added.

     Regarding the situation of a cattle wearing a Global Positioning System (GPS) tracker under a pilot scheme, a spokesman for the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) today (March 26) said that no adverse effects on the cattle's health and life had been found after continual surveillance.

     The AFCD invited a veterinarian of the Animal Welfare Advisory Group (Advisory Group) and an expert to observe the concerned cattle with a tracking collar in Sai Kung Country Park. After a site inspection, they noted that the concerned cattle did not show any signs of discomfort, redness on neck skin, nor swallowing or breathing difficulties. 

     For the fitness of the tracking collar on the neck, experts considered that the tracking collar is suitably fitted with optimal space between the collar and the neck of the cattle, so that the cattle can move its neck freely. 

     The Advisory Group member added that tracking of animals using tracking collars could provide useful data for animal research, and is also a common practice to study animal behaviour overseas. 

     AFCD staff will keep regular inspection of the cattle and its tracking collar in Sai Kung Country Park to ensure that the cattle's health remains unaffected and the collar works properly. The AFCD will complete data collection as soon as possible, and then remove the tracking collar from the cattle.

     The COVID-19 Vaccination Programme has been implemented for the 29th day since February 26.
 
     So far, a total of about 435 100 doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered for members of the public (Annex 1). Among them, about 429 500 persons received their first dose with about 278 200 persons receiving Sinovac vaccine and about 151 300 persons receiving BioNTech vaccine, and about 5 600 persons received their second dose of Sinovac vaccine.
 
     In the 24 hours ending at 8 pm today (March 26), the following vaccination and booking figures were recorded:
 
(i) About 8 500 persons received their first dose of Sinovac vaccine, including about 6 200 persons vaccinated at eight Community Vaccination Centres (CVCs) and about 2 300 persons at private doctors and clinics participating in the programme;
 
(ii) about 5 100 persons received their second dose of Sinovac vaccine, including about 4 900 persons vaccinated at the CVCs and about 200 persons at private doctors and clinics;
 
(iii) the overall percentage of people who have received Sinovac vaccine at the eight CVCs today is about 86 per cent; and
 
(iv) about 4 400 persons have made booking online for receiving their first and second doses of Sinovac vaccine.
 
     In the 24 hours ending at 0000 hours today, there were no cases of ambulance transfer to hospital.
 
     As background information, in the 24 hours ending at 0000 hours today, there were 42 cases of stroke or myocardial infarction that required admission to the Intensive Care Unit, Acute Stroke Unit and Cardiac Care Unit of public hospitals. The state of new cases admitted to the wards concerned is provided as a cross reference to enhance fuller public understanding of cases of the kind recorded on vaccine recipients.

     The Government exercised the power under the Prevention and Control of Disease (Compulsory Testing for Certain Persons) Regulation (Cap. 599J) and published in the Gazette a compulsory testing notice, which requires any person who had been present at two specified premises during the specified period (persons subject to compulsory testing) to undergo a COVID-19 nucleic acid test.

     Currently, in all districts in Hong Kong, if one or more new confirmed cases are found in the residential buildings (including buildings for both commercial and residential uses), or there are sewage samples tested positive which implied possible infection risks, the buildings will be included in the compulsory testing notice.

     Two premises fulfilling the above criteria were included in the compulsory testing notice today (March 26).
    
     Details of the compulsory testing notice are as follows:

     Any person who had been present at any specified premises listed in Annex 1 for more than two hours at any time during the period from March 13 to March 26, 2021 (including but not limited to visitors, residents and workers), have to undergo testing by March 28, 2021. If persons subject to compulsory testing have previously undergone testing between March 24 and March 26, 2021, they would be taken to have complied with the requirements set out in the compulsory testing notice.
  
     A spokesman for the Food and Health Bureau reminds the public that in accordance with the compulsory testing notice issued earlier, all household members of close contacts are required to undergo compulsory testing. Any person who had lived with a person placed under quarantine pursuant to section 22 of the Prevention and Control of Disease Regulation (Cap. 599A) (person under quarantine) in the same residential unit on the date of commencement of quarantine or during the 14 days before that day, and who becomes aware of the quarantine of the person under quarantine when the relevant quarantine has not yet been completed, have to undergo testing within two days of he/she becoming aware of the person under quarantine has been placed under quarantine and report to the Government the result of the test by phone (at 6275 6901), fax (at 2530 5872) or email (ct@csb.gov.hk) within three days of undergoing the test.

     The Government will set up a mobile specimen collection station at Fu Sau House of Tai Wo Hau Estate tomorrow (March 27) for local residents and workers subject to compulsory testing. 
 
     The service period of the mobile specimen collection station at Li Sing Street Playground in Sai Ying Pun will be extended to April 1 (Thursday). The service period of the mobile specimen collection stations at Edinburgh Place in Central, Sai Ying Pun Community Complex, Wong Tai Sin Square, Sha Tsui Road Playground in Tsuen Wan, On Hing Playground in Yuen Long, Tin Shui Sports Centre in Tin Shui Wai, Kin Sang Community Hall in Tuen Mun and Tai Po Community Centre will be extended to April 4 (Sunday). The service period of the mobile specimen collection station at Maple Street Playground in Sham Shui Po will be extended to April 6 (Tuesday).  
 
     The opening dates and operating hours of the mobile specimen collection stations in various districts providing free COVID-19 nucleic acid testing services for the general public are stated in Annex 2. Apart from mobile specimen collection stations, persons subject to compulsory testing can also choose to attend any of the community testing centres in all districts to receive testing free of charge.
 
     Persons subject to compulsory testing may choose to undergo testing via the following routes:

1. To visit any of the mobile specimen collection stations (see the list and target groups (if applicable) at www.coronavirus.gov.hk/eng/early-testing.html) for testing;
2. To attend any of the community testing centres (see the list at www.communitytest.gov.hk/en/);
3. To obtain a deep throat saliva specimen collection pack from any of the 121 post offices, vending machines set up at 20 MTR stations or 47 designated general outpatient clinics (GOPCs) of the Hospital Authority and return the specimen to one of the designated specimen collection points (see the distribution points and times, and the specimen collection points and times, at www.coronavirus.gov.hk/eng/early-testing.html);
4. To undergo testing at any of the GOPCs of the Hospital Authority as instructed by a medical professional of the Hospital Authority;
5. To self-arrange testing provided by private laboratories which are recognised by the Department of Health (DH) and can issue SMS notifications in respect of test results (see the list at www.coronavirus.gov.hk/pdf/List_of_recognised_laboratories_RTPCR.pdf); or
6.To use a specimen bottle distributed to the relevant specified premises by the Centre for Health Protection (if applicable), and return the specimen bottle with the sample collected as per relevant guidelines.

     The spokesman cautioned that testing received at accident and emergency departments of the Hospital Authority or during hospital stays, or testing provided by private laboratories which cannot issue SMS notifications in respect of test results, does not comply with the requirements of the aforementioned compulsory testing notice.

     "If persons subject to compulsory testing have symptoms, they should seek medical attention immediately and undergo testing as instructed by a medical professional. They should not attend the mobile specimen collection stations or the community testing centres."

     Persons subject to compulsory testing must keep the SMS notification containing result of the test for checking by a law enforcement officer when the officer requires the persons to provide information about their undergoing the specified test.

     Furthermore, persons subject to testing under the compulsory testing notices should, as far as reasonably practicable, take appropriate personal disease prevention measures including wearing a mask and maintaining hand hygiene, and, unless for the purpose of undergoing the specified test, stay at their place of residence and avoid going out until the test result is ascertained as far as possible.

     Any enquiries on compulsory testing arrangements may be addressed to the hotline at 6275 6901, which operates daily from 9am to 6pm. If persons subject to compulsory testing plan to conduct testing at any of the community testing centres, they can check the centre's appointment status in advance. The hotlines of the community testing centres are available at www.communitytest.gov.hk/en/info/.

     The Government will continue to trace possibly infected persons who had been to the relevant premises, and seriously verify whether they had complied with the testing notices. Any person who fails to comply with the testing notices commits an offence and may be fined a fixed penalty of $5,000. 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 order is an offence and the offender would be liable to a fine at level 4 ($25,000) and imprisonment for six months.

     Relevant officers of different government departments are empowered to perform certain functions under the relevant Regulations under the Prevention and Control of Disease Ordinance (Cap. 599), including requesting individuals to provide information and assistance when necessary. Any person who fails to comply with the relevant request commits an offence and would be liable to a fine at level 3 ($10,000). Collection and use of any personal data for conducting COVID-19 tests must meet the requirements under the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance (Cap. 486). Government departments or testing service providers which handle the relevant information may provide the data to DH or other relevant departments for anti-epidemic purpose as necessary. The workflow does not involve the provision of any personal data to organisations or persons outside Hong Kong.

     The spokesman said, "The Government urges all individuals who are in doubt about their own health conditions, or individuals with infection risks (such as individuals who visited places with epidemic outbreaks or contacted confirmed cases), to undergo testing promptly for early identification of infected persons."