The Labour Department (LD) announced today (March 9) that mobile specimen collection stations will be set up at popular gathering places of foreign domestic helpers (FDHs) for two consecutive Sundays on March 14 and March 21 to provide a free COVID-19 testing service for FDHs.
      
     An LD spokesman said, "From August 2020 to February 2021, the Government had provided several rounds of free COVID-19 testing services for FDHs whose previous employment contracts had expired or had been terminated and who were waiting to join a new employers' family. To benefit more FDHs and reduce transmission risk of the virus in the community, the LD will set up mobile specimen collection stations at popular gathering places of FDHs to facilitate all FDHs in Hong Kong to receive the test. We strongly encourage FDHs to participate in the free testing to safeguard their health. We also appeal to employment agencies and employers to encourage and arrange for FDHs to receive the free testing service at designated mobile specimen collection stations. No prior appointment is required."
      
     The three mobile specimen collection stations will be set up at Chater Road Pedestrian Precinct in Central (near the bus stop), Hing Fat Street entrance of Victoria Park in Causeway Bay (near Exit A2 of MTR Tin Hau Station) and Lai Chi Kok Park entrance (near Exit D of MTR Mei Foo Station). Mobile specimen collection stations are open for two consecutive Sundays on March 14 and 21, from 10am to 5pm. An FDH should bring along his/her Hong Kong identity card or passport, and register his/her personal information on the spot at the government website (www.tgptest.gov.hk. Please select "Non-Government Staff – Foreign domestic helpers") in order to receive an SMS notification of the test result. FDHs will be given the barcode number of the specimen bottle they collect after registration for reference. If necessary, duty officers can assist the FDH in registration.  
      
     The testing agent will provide the specimen collection service by combined nasal and throat swab to FDHs receiving the test, and will deliver the specimens to the laboratory for testing. The testing agent will not acquire or retain any personal information of the participants. Participants will be notified of a negative test result via SMS. Positive cases will be referred to the Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health (DH) for follow-up and the DH will contact the participant concerned if it is confirmed to be an infection case.
      
     For enquiries, please contact the LD through the dedicated FDH hotline at 2157 9537 (manned by 1823) or by email to fdh-enquiry@labour.gov.hk.

     The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (March 9) that in view of a notification from the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration about an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N8 avian influenza in Ringsted Municipality of Denmark, and a notification from the General Veterinary Inspectorate of Poland about outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza in Å�eczycki District of Å�ódzkie Region and Nowosolski District of Lubuskie Region in Poland, the CFS has instructed the trade to suspend the import of poultry meat and products (including poultry eggs) from the above-mentioned areas with immediate effect to protect public health in Hong Kong.

     A CFS spokesman said that according to the Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong imported about 1 640 tonnes of chilled and frozen poultry meat and about 1.33 million poultry eggs from Denmark, and about 13 500 tonnes of frozen poultry meat and about 39.08 million poultry eggs from Poland last year.

     "The CFS has contacted the Danish and Polish authorities over the issues and will closely monitor information issued by the World Organisation for Animal Health and the relevant authorities on the avian influenza outbreaks. Appropriate action will be taken in response to the development of the situation," the spokesman said.

     A woman who went missing in Sha Tin has been located.
     
     Sung Lai-mui, aged 67, went missing after she left her residence in Chun Yeung Estate on March 7 morning. Her family made a report to Police on the same day.   

     The woman was located at the junction of Tai Ho Road and Sha Tsui Road, Tsuen Wan last night (March 8). No suspicious circumstances were detected.

     The Government yesterday (March 8) 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 8.30pm yesterday, under which people (hereafter referred to as "persons subject to compulsory testing") within the specified "restricted area" in Tsim Sha Tsui (i.e. Tsim Sha Tsui Mansion, 83-97 Nathan Road / 36-50 Lock Road, Tsim Sha Tsui) 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 area had undergone testing and the test results were mostly ascertained. Moreover, the Government issued a compulsory testing notice yesterday, requiring persons who had been present at the above building for more than two hours from February 23 to March 8, 2021, even if they were not present in the "restricted area" at the time when the declaration took effect, to undergo compulsory testing on or before March 10. The Government announced the completion of the compulsory testing exercise at around 7am today (March 9) and carried out enforcement actions 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 11.30am today.

     In this exercise, the Home Affairs Department (HAD) and the Yau Tsim Mong District Office and Sham Shui Po District Office of it, the Hong Kong Police Force, the Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health, and the Auxiliary Medical Service mobilised around 310 staff to arrange for implementation of the declaration and enforcement actions for breaches of the compulsory testing notice issued earlier.

     The Government provided simple food for persons subject to compulsory testing, including canned food, cup noodles, soup packs, corn kernels, soy milk and bottled water, so as to facilitate the dinner arrangements of some persons subject to compulsory testing. One box of masks, bleach, hand sanitiser, etc, were also provided to persons subject to compulsory testing to help them fight against the virus.

     The HAD also set up hotlines 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 7am today, the Government took enforcement actions 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 testing result or wore a wristband 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 11.30am. Around ten persons were found not having undergone compulsory testing. A compulsory testing order was issued to them. 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 assigned staff to visit the 260 households/rooms (including around 100 rooms in guesthouses) who did not answer the door yesterday again. After initial investigation, it is believed that around 25 households/rooms (including around 22 rooms in guesthouses) of them are vacant units. Moreover, residents of around 53 households/rooms (including around 22 rooms in guesthouses) answered the door today and were able to prove that they have undergone compulsory testing. The Government hopes those residents who have not answered the door will contact the Government for arrangement of testing as soon as possible after they read 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 hopes this temporary inconvenience will completely cut the local transmission chains and ease residents' worries and fear, so that they will regain confidence in resuming social and business activities in the area, and return to a normal life.

     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 as a whole is united in fighting against the virus despite all the difficulties, and provided testing for all the residents in the district within a short period of time in the hope of achieving zero cases in the district.

     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 liable to a fixed penalty of $5,000. The person will 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 or the "restriction-testing declaration" is an offence and the offender may be liable to a fine of level 4 ($25,000) and imprisonment for six months.

  

     The Beijing Municipal Government recently announced that the COVID-19 nucleic acid test requirement for persons entering Beijing from Hong Kong would be adjusted with effect from March 15. The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) today (March 9) urged members of the public to pay attention and ensure that they can meet the requirement when travelling to Beijing to avoid hiccups when entering Beijing.
 
     The updated requirement on the COVID-19 nucleic acid test set by the Beijing Municipal Government stated that, in order to further improve the prevention of importation of cases, it has decided to standardise the method of specimen collection for nucleic acid test of inbound travellers from Hong Kong to Beijing. Starting from midnight on March 15, all persons travelling from Hong Kong to Beijing by direct flights will be required to present valid proof of a negative COVID-19 nucleic acid test result issued within seven days by one of the local COVID-19 nucleic acid testing institutions recognised by the HKSAR Government. The method of specimen collection specified in the proof must be nasopharyngeal swab or combined nasal and throat swab (throat swab as the main method of specimen collection for children under 6 years old). Airlines will check the proof concerned before boarding. Travellers will not be allowed to board the plane if the above-mentioned method of specimen collection was not adopted or the method of specimen collection was not specified in the proof. After entering Beijing, travellers must follow local prevention and control measures policies strictly.
 
     The Government spokesman said, "Before departure to Beijing, members of the public should pay attention to the latest prevention and control measures policies of Beijing in advance. They should also take the COVID-19 nucleic acid test at the testing institutions recognised by the HKSAR Government in time, request for a negative COVID-19 nucleic acid test result which specifies nasopharyngeal swab or combined nasal and throat swab as the method of specimen collection, and co-operate with airlines on the checking of the proof before boarding."

     The designated testing institutions recognised by the HKSAR Government have been posted on the "COVID-19 Thematic Website" (www.coronavirus.gov.hk/pdf/List_of_recognised_laboratories.pdf).