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.

     The Sham Shui Po District Office, the Sham Shui Po Police District and the Auxiliary Medical Service (AMS), conducted enforcement action on compulsory testing notices today (January 29) at six buildings in Sham Shui Po, which were included in the compulsory testing notices earlier. The operation started at around 7am and ended at around 10.30am.

     Starting from around 7am today, residents of the following six buildings were requested to provide an SMS notification received through mobile phone or related certification containing the results of COVID-19 tests arranged by the Government, to show that they had taken such tests as required pursuant to the compulsory testing notices within the specified period issued by the Government earlier on. The Government arranged staff to verify the testing certifications of the residents at the entrances/exits of the six buildings, and conducted random checks in the buildings to verify whether residents have undergone testing in compliance with the requirement. The six buildings are:

1. 355-357 Tai Nan Street, Sham Shui Po, Kowloon, Hong Kong
2. 95 Kweilin Street/359 Ki Lung Street, Sham Shui Po, Kowloon, Hong Kong
3. 126-128 Fuk Wing Street/96-98 Yen Chow Street, Sham Shui Po, Kowloon, Hong Kong
4. 260-262 Tai Nan Street, Sham Shui Po, Kowloon, Hong Kong
5. 171 Cheung Sha Wan Road, Sham Shui Po, Kowloon, Hong Kong
6. 25-27 Un Chau Street, Sham Shui Po, Kowloon, Hong Kong

     During the operation, test records of over 220 residents were checked. Among them, 14 persons were found to have violated the compulsory testing notice. The Government has issued fixed penalties of $5,000 as well as compulsory testing orders to them, requiring them to undergo testing within a specified period. Non-compliance with a compulsory testing order is an offence liable to a fine of $25,000 and imprisonment for six months. The Government will not rule out that enforcement actions will be taken again in these buildings in future.

     The Government reiterates that the aim of issuing the compulsory testing notice is to stop the spread of COVID-19 in the community as soon as possible to protect the overall public health and safety. Persons subject to testing under the compulsory testing notice 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.

     The Government wishes to thank the many residents who had complied with the compulsory testing notices for their co-operation to fight against the virus together. However, the Government had also found a small number of residents who had violated the compulsory testing notices during the operation, and the Government will continue to enforce the law strictly.

     The Sham Shui Po District Office is also grateful for the support and co-operation by the Police and the AMS to enable the enforcement actions to be carried out smoothly. The Government understands that the enforcement process may cause some inconvenience to the residents, but hopes the residents can understand that this is for the purpose of achieving compulsory testing on a mandatory basis and community case clearing.

      

The following is issued on behalf of the Business Facilitation Advisory Committee Secretariat:

     The Business Facilitation Advisory Committee held its 44th meeting today (January 29). At the meeting, members were briefed by the Water Supplies Department (WSD) on the public consultation on proposed amendments to the Waterworks Ordinance (Cap. 102) and by the Innovation and Technology Bureau (ITB) on the Smart City Blueprint for Hong Kong 2.0 (Blueprint 2.0).

     To bring the regulatory frameworks up to date to cope with the latest developments in the plumbing trade, the WSD has proposed a series of amendments to the Waterworks Ordinance and launched a three-month public consultation which will end on February 3, 2021. Members were briefed on the proposals relevant to the business sector, including the regulation of plumbing works; control of plumbing materials, drinking water dispensers and fountains; the Water Efficiency Labelling Scheme; and maintenance and rectification of water loss in the communal part of the internal plumbing system.

     The Committee noted the WSD's proposed amendments to the Waterworks Ordinance to enhance regulation on plumbing-related works and appreciated its efforts in ensuring drinking water safety and water use efficiency.

     The ITB released the Blueprint 2.0 on December 10, 2020, setting out over 130 smart city initiatives, with an aim to allow members of the public to better perceive the benefits of smart city and innovation and technology (I&T) in their daily lives.  Members were briefed by the ITB on Hong Kong's smart city development and initiatives under the Blueprint 2.0, particularly on initiatives related to business operations such as the "iAM Smart" Platform and the Smart Government Innovation Lab.

     The Committee welcomed the ITB's release of the Blueprint 2.0 and appreciated the Government's efforts to better address city management challenges and improve people's livelihood through the use of I&T and business facilitation measures for the industry.

     The Committee also received the work report of its three task forces:
 
Wholesale and Retail Task Force (WRTF)
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• The Commerce and Economic Development Bureau, Trade and Industry Department, and Hong Kong Productivity Council briefed the WRTF on the integrated services provided by the four SME centres and the setting up of "SME ReachOut". The WRTF welcomed the "4-in-1" integrated services provided by the SME centres and support services by "SME ReachOut" and appreciated the Government's efforts in helping local enterprises.

• The Department of Health (DH) briefed the WRTF on the amendment to Pharmacy and Poisons Regulations to remove the regulatory requirement on submission of the actual sales packs of pharmaceutical products for registration. The WRTF welcomed the amendment which facilitated the trade and appreciated the DH's efforts in the publicity work.

Food Business and Related Services Task Force (FRSTF)
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• The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department briefed the FRSTF on revisions to the bakery licence requirement for licensed light refreshment restaurants, including facilitation measures regarding premises applying for restaurant and bakery licences. A light refreshment restaurant is not required to obtain a separate bakery licence if the bakery products are for consumption by consumers on the premises. The FRSTF welcomed the facilitation measures which addressed the trade's concern and reduced the trade's administrative burden and compliance cost, and thanked relevant departments for their active response to the concerns of the industry and dedication in facilitating businesses.

• To foster the less-salt-and-sugar dietary culture, the Food and Health Bureau (FHB) briefed members on the Less-salt-and-sugar Restaurants Scheme and the Less Sugar Friday Campaign. The FRSTF appreciated FHB's efforts in the promotion work.

Task Force on Business Liaison Groups (BLGTF)
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• The Office of the Licensing Authority under the Home Affairs Department briefed the BLGTF on its new measures to further facilitate licence applications and business operations of multiple trades, including waiving the requirements of registering drainage plans for new licence applications, streamlining the procedures for alteration works for licensed premises, relaxing document submission requirements for minor works of low complexity, setting a new performance pledge and strengthening application guides. The BLGTF appreciated the new measures which would enhance the efficiency and transparency of the licensing services and reduce the compliance and operating costs of multiple trades at the same time.

• The Fire Services Department briefed the BLGTF on its adoption of a pragmatic approach in granting the validity period of a fire services certificate to facilitate the renewal of Temporary Places of Public Entertainment Licences. The BLGTF welcomed the facilitation measure, which would save the operational cost and administrative burden of the trade.

     The Committee also expressed appreciation of the commitment and achievements of the bureaux and departments in continuously enhancing their business licensing services under the "Be the Smart Regulator" Programme.
      
     Papers for the Committee meeting are available at www.gov.hk/en/business/supportenterprises/bf/advisory/index.htm for public access.

     The Government today (January 29) announced the re-appointment of 11 incumbent members, as well as the appointment of two new members, namely Ms Wong Siu-ling and Ms Grace Yu Ho-wun, to the Advisory Committee of the Partnership Fund for the Disadvantaged. Their two-year term will take effect on February 1, 2021.

     The Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Dr Law Chi-kwong, said, "The Government set up the Partnership Fund for the Disadvantaged in 2005 for promoting tripartite partnership among the welfare community, the business sector and the Government to help the disadvantaged."
 
     Dr Law added, "The appointed and re-appointed members come from the social welfare sector, the business community and academia. I hope that they will give valuable advice on the future development of the Fund and the promotion of cross-sectoral collaboration."
 
     Dr Law also thanked the outgoing members, Mr Rex Mok Chung-fai and Ms Malina Ngai Man-lin, for their contribution to the Fund.

     The membership list of non-official members of the Advisory Committee for the new term is as follows:

Mr Karson Choi Ka-tsan
Mr Raymond Lai Kwan-ho
Mr Allen Lau Kai-hung
Ms Anthea Lee Shuk-wai
Ms Lee Yuen-sum
Ms Irene Leung Shuk-yee
Mr Lun Chi-wai
Mr Ngan Chun
Mr Tam Kin-lok
Mr Justin Wai
Ms Wong Siu-ling
Ms Yim Chor-pik
Ms Grace Yu Ho-wun

     The Government yesterday (January 28) exercised the power under the Prevention and Control of Disease (Compulsory Testing for Certain Persons) Regulation (Cap. 599J) to make a "restriction-testing declaration" (declaration) effective from 7pm yesterday, by which people within the specified "restricted area" in North Point (i.e. Blocks A, B, C and D of Tung Fat Building, Kam Ping Street) are required to stay in their premises and undergo compulsory testing in accordance with the arrangement by the Government. Persons subject to compulsory testing are required to stay in their premises until all such persons identified in the area have undergone testing and the test results are mostly ascertained. In addition, the Government has also issued compulsory testing notices earlier to any person who had been present at the building for more than two hours during the specified period to undergo compulsory testing even if they were not present in the "restricted area" at the time when the declaration took effect. The Government finished the compulsory testing exercise at around 7am today (January 29) and is now carrying out enforcement actions in the "restricted area" to verify that all people in the "restricted area" have undergone compulsory testing. The Government will further announce the revocation time of the declaration.

     Starting from 7am today, persons in the "restricted area" in North Point who have undergone testing and are able to present SMS notifications with negative test results or wear wristbands as proof of having undergone testing may leave the "restricted area" through the designated exit after providing personal information to a prescribed officer. 

     The Government set up 12 temporary specimen collection stations in the "restricted area" yesterday and requested persons subject to compulsory testing to collect combined nasal and throat swab samples at the stations to undergo a COVID-19 virus test before 2am today. As at 2am today, about 475 residents had undergone testing. No positive cases were found.

     Moreover, the Government also assigned staff to visit about 660 households. After deducting the households in units 6 and 7 on all floors of Block C which have been quarantined, about 190 households did not answer the door. Those include some households with confirmed cases or undergoing quarantine. Some units are possibly vacant as well. The Government does not have detailed information in this respect and will take measures to follow up.

     The Government reiterates that enforcement actions will be taken seriously. Any person who fails to present an SMS notification with a negative test result breaches the compulsory testing notice and may be liable to a fine of $5,000. The person will also be issued with a compulsory testing order, requiring him/her to undergo testing within a specified time frame. Failure to comply with the compulsory testing 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.