Tag Archives: China

     Police are investigating a fatal traffic accident in Tin Sum today (February 7) in which an 86-year-old woman died.      At 8.54am, a medium goods vehicle (MGV) driven by a 38-year-old man repor… read more

     A spokesman for the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) said today (February 7) that the FEHD will set up a point of sale (POS) at Chui Tin Street Soccer Pitch in Sha Tin, the site originally designated for the 2021 Che Kung Festival Fair. The POS, with 32 dry goods stalls, will be opened from February 9 to 26, with the operating hours matching the opening hours of Che Kung Temple. To make anti-epidemic efforts effective, apart from strictly enforcing various anti-epidemic measures, the admission to and exit from the POS will be monitored and the footfall at the POS will be controlled with the use of technology, with a view to avoiding the risk of mass gathering.

     The spokesman said, “Under the premise of upholding the anti-epidemic principles, the Government has to keep the risk of the sale event under control. The footfall of the POS will be counted with the use of Infrared Sensing devices and displayed in a ‘Green, Amber and Red Lights’ format. Green light means few people inside the POS, amber light indicates an increase in footfall, while red light represents footfall saturation at the POS and entry will be temporarily suspended. As its circumstances are different from the 15 points of sale for Lunar New Year flowers, implementing a ticketing system is not required in this POS.”

     Various anti-epidemic measures will be strictly enforced at the POS. Stall operators and their staff must undergo COVID-19 virus testing within 48 hours before the opening of the POS, and must present or submit a negative test result when entering the POS prior to the commencement of operation. The FEHD will provide one-off free testing services for stall operators and their staff, and has already arranged the testing agency to deliver specimen bottles to them for collecting deep throat saliva samples.

     In addition, stall operators are required by the FEHD to provide a list of staff and their contact information for tracing of confirmed cases and their contacts when necessary. Stall operators are also required to provide sufficient hand sanitisers at their stalls during operation hours. A cleansing session which is estimated to last around an hour will be arranged every afternoon at the POS, during which the FEHD will conduct cleansing and disinfection at public areas. Stall owners will be responsible for carrying out such work at their own stalls.

     The spokesman said all persons entering the POS must observe the ground rules including conducting body temperature screening before entering the POS and persons with symptoms will be refused entry. A mask must be worn when entering and within the POS, and eating, drinking or smoking are not allowed at the POS. The “LeaveHomeSafe” venue QR code will be displayed at the entrance of and inside the POS for members of the public to scan and record their visits.

     Members of the public may call the FEHD hotline at 2868 0000 for enquiries. read more

The following is issued on behalf of the Liquor Licensing Board:
 
     The Liquor Licensing Board (LLB) will meet on Tuesday (February 9) to consider an application for renewal of a liquor licence.
 
     The application is:
 
Hong Kong:
—————
M CLUB in Wan Chai
 
     The board will also consider revocation of the liquor licence of Ted’s Lookout in Wan Chai.
 
     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. read more

     The Government yesterday (February 6) 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 Tuen Mun (i.e. Tower 9, Hong Kong Gold Coast Phase 2, 1 Castle Peak Road – Castle Peak Bay) 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 building for more than two hours from January 24 to February 6, 2021, even if they were not present in the “restricted area” at the time when the declaration took effect, to undergo compulsory testing before February 8. The Government announced the completion of the compulsory testing exercise at around 7am today (February 7) and carried out enforcement actions in the “restricted area” afterwards to verify that all people in the “restricted area” had undergone compulsory testing. The Government announced that the enforcement operation ended at around 10.15am today.

     In this exercise, the Home Affairs Department (HAD), the Tuen Mun District Office, the Hong Kong Police Force, the Immigration Department, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, the Highways Department, the Department of Health and the Auxiliary Medical mobilised around 180 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 instant noodles, canned food, cup noodles, 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 and hand sanitiser were also provided to persons subject to compulsory testing to help them fight against the virus.

     The HAD also set up a hotline 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 action 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 10.15am. Nobody was found not having undergone compulsory testing. 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 hopes the some 10 households 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 understands that residents in the district are worried and anxious because of the increase in confirmed cases in recent days. The Government hopes this temporary inconvenience will completely cut the local transmission chains in the district 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. read more

     The Tourism Commission will stage the Yim Tin Tsai Arts Festival from February 12 (Lunar New Year’s Day) to March 11. In view of the COVID-19 epidemic, the Arts Festival will go virtual. Members of the public can stay at … read more