The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     The spokesperson for the Queen Mary Hospital (QMH) today (February 28) announced that a patient confirmed with COVID-19 passed away last night.
 
     A 73-year-old male patient (case number: 5754) who tested preliminary positive for COVID-19 was admitted to the Tseung Kwan O Hospital on November 23, 2020. He was transferred to the Adult Intensive Care Unit (AICU) of QMH for isolation treatment on December 9, 2020. His antibody test result for COVID-19 was positive after treatment. He was released from isolation order by the Department of Health on January 28. Due to respiratory failure, he continued to stay in the AICU and a general ward consecutively. His condition continued to deteriorate and eventually succumbed at 11.16pm yesterday in AICU.
 
     The hospital is saddened by the passing away of the patient and would offer necessary assistance to his family members.
 
     Including the above case, 193 COVID-19 patients have passed away in public hospitals so far.
 

The following is issued on behalf of the Community Care Fund Secretariat:

     The Community Care Fund (CCF) will start accepting applications from three-person households for the second round of the One-off Living Subsidy for Low-income Households Not Living in Public Housing and Not Receiving Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) programme (the 2021 Programme) from tomorrow (March 1).

     Beneficiaries should currently be renting accommodation on a monthly basis (or for longer tenures) in private housing, industrial buildings, commercial buildings or social housing operated by non-governmental organisations (NGOs); renting bedspaces offered under the Home Affairs Department's Singleton Hostel Programme or bedspaces in hostels operated by NGOs for rehabilitated offenders; residing in temporary housing; living on board vessels; or homeless. Their monthly income must not exceed the specified limits. They should not be receiving CSSA or own any property in Hong Kong. For persons renting accommodation in private housing, industrial buildings, commercial buildings or social housing, their monthly rent should not exceed the specified rent limits. The income and rent limits for three-person households are $26,800 and $13,400 respectively.
    
     Eligible households that benefited from the first round of the Programme (the 2020 Programme), which was held during the period from July 2 to November 30, 2020 (i.e. old applicant households), can also benefit, and those three-person households will receive notification for confirming eligibility from the Secretariat starting from March. Old applicant households that still meet the eligibility criteria of the 2021 Programme should complete the reply slip with appendices (if appropriate) attached to the notification and return it to the service unit which assisted to process the application of the household concerned under the 2020 Programme or the Secretariat to confirm eligibility on or before May 31. Upon verification of eligibility, the Secretariat will send notifications of the eligibility verification results to the applicant households. The Secretariat will arrange to disburse the subsidy to eligible households according to their chosen method under the 2020 Programme (i.e. either through bank transfer or by order cheque).

     If there are changes in the situation of old applicant households (such as there are new eligible members and/or changes of the specified applicant), they are still required to complete the reply slip and return it to the Secretariat. The Secretariat will forward these households' information to the relevant service units, which will contact the households to submit a specified application form (i.e. Form 1).

     New three-person applicant households should submit application forms (i.e. Form 2) together with copies of all the required documents to respective service units near their residences either in person or by post starting from tomorrow. Households comprising solely elderly persons aged 60 or above, households comprising solely young persons aged 24 or below or the homeless can submit applications to elderly service units, youth service units or service units accepting applications from the homeless respectively. Owing to the latest developments of COVID-19, some service units may have adjusted their operating hours. Applicants are advised to submit applications by post. Applicants who wish to submit applications to the service units in person are suggested to call the service units for the operating hours. Service units may require applicants to make bookings in advance.

     The Secretariat and service units will vet each application, including verifying the eligibility, checking the supporting documents submitted, and conducting home visits/means tests on selected applications. The Secretariat will issue notifications of results to applicants after vetting applications and disburse the subsidy to eligible households. If households choose to receive the subsidy through bank transfer, the subsidy will be deposited into the bank accounts as specified in their application forms through autopay. For households who choose to receive the subsidy in the form of order cheques, the service units concerned will inform them to collect the cheques in person at the service units before the specified period.

     The 2021 Programme was launched on January 4 to relieve the financial pressure on low-income households. The subsidy levels of the 2021 Programme are as follows:
 

     The Secretariat started accepting applications from one-person households and two-person households on January 4 and February 1 respectively. The CCF will accept applications from and verify the eligibility of all households from April 1 to May 31.
    
     For details of the 2021 Programme, please visit the CCF website (www.communitycarefund.hk). Enquiries can be addressed to the enquiry hotline of the Programme on 2180 6666 or the 220 service units assisting in the implementation of the Programme.

The following is issued on behalf of the Liquor Licensing Board:
 
     The Liquor Licensing Board (LLB) will meet on Tuesday (March 2) to consider four applications for new issue and renewal of liquor licences.
 
     The applications are (not in order of discussion):
 
Hong Kong:
—————
Zoo in Sheung Wan
FAYE and Varga Lounge in Central
 
Kowloon:
————
FILL IN in Hung Hom
 
     The board will also consider revocation of the liquor licence of NEW GARDEN RESTAURANT in Jordan.
 
     The meeting will be held at 9.45am in the conference room, Room 102, 1/F, 258 Queen's Road East, Wan Chai. In response to the latest developments of COVID-19, to avoid the gathering of people in an enclosed environment and to safeguard the health of all participants, public seats will not be available for all open hearings of the LLB in the interim.

     The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) announced today (February 28) that to achieve the target of making testing services available as far as possible for those who should be tested, it will continue to arrange free COVID-19 testing services for targeted groups, including high-exposure groups such as front-line staff of catering businesses, staff and personnel working in markets, licensed hawkers and practitioners of cold stores, to safeguard public health. The deadline for online registration for the scheme has been extended to March 31. People in high-exposure groups who have already registered and undergone testing may register again.
      
     A spokesman for the FEHD said, "To broaden surveillance at the community level, and incorporate disease prevention and infection control into the new normal of the daily operation of society, the Government has integrated and regularised the Targeted Group Testing Scheme (TGTS) as part of its sentinel surveillance. The TGTS has become part of the surveillance and early warning system. By facilitating contact tracing and epidemiological investigation, it is conducive to early identification, early isolation and early treatment, and can provide reference data for the overall assessment of the epidemic situation."
      
     Under the scheme, the testing agency (Prenetics Limited) will be responsible for the provision of one-stop services covering specimen taking and testing. For details of the testing programme, please call the hotline of the testing agency at 3008 8319 or visit the FEHD website (www.fehd.gov.hk/english/events/covid19_test/info_20200926.html).
      
     The FEHD strongly appeals to the groups concerned to actively participate in the testing scheme, and continue to comply with the directions made under the Prevention and Control of Disease (Requirements and Directions) (Business and Premises) Regulation (Cap. 599F), and to maintain personal and environmental hygiene continuously with a view to ensuring cleanliness of the premises and food safety.

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 attached table.