The following is issued on behalf of the Working Family and Student Financial Assistance Agency:
  
     The Working Family and Student Financial Assistance Agency (WFSFAA) said today (January 22) that a staff member of its Student Finance Office (SFO) has preliminarily tested positive for COVID-19.
  　
     The staff member concerned is a clerical grade staff. He works at 11/F, Cheung Sha Wan Government Offices and does not have contact with members of the public in his daily work. He last came to work on January 21. He had been wearing surgical masks while performing duties and properly maintaining social distancing with other people. The officer developed symptoms on January 21 evening. The preliminary test result today was positive.

     In consideration of public health and hygiene, the offices on 11/F, Cheung Sha Wan Government Offices will be closed for a thorough cleaning and disinfection. The service counters at the same floor will suspend services up to January 28. SFO will contact those who have made appointments for counter services.
  
     During the pandemic, WFSFAA has been strictly implementing various disease prevention measures, including requiring staff to wear face masks when in contact with others and at public places. Cleaning and sterilising measures for the working environment have also been stepped up. WFSFAA has reminded all staff to pay attention to personal hygiene and to stay vigilant at all times. If they feel unwell, they should seek medical advice immediately and inform the Agency.
  
     WFSFAA will continue to maintain close liaison with the Centre for Health Protection and co-operate with its anti-epidemic measures and quarantine work.

     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) today (January 22) said that as 10 confirmed cases of COVID-19 recently occurred at Kensington Plaza, 98 Parkes Street in Jordan, which involved five units including four C units of different floors, the CHP is proactively following up to investigate whether the infections of the cases are related, so as to stop the potential risk of further spread of the virus.

     The CHP has co-ordinated with related Government departments and conducted a site inspection this afternoon to the concerned floors and units of Kensington Plaza to investigate and examine if environmental factors were involved in the infection of the cases. The CHP took into account the opinions from experts and decided to carry out prudent measures on infection control before the relevant departments completed their inspection of the pipes of the building. The DH will issue quarantine orders to all asymptomatic residents of C units on all floors of Kensington Plaza (3rd Floor to 20th Floor) and transfer them to quarantine centres; symptomatic residents will be sent to the hospital for treatment.

     The CHP spokesman urged all individuals who are in doubt about their own health condition, or individuals with exposure to infection risk, to undergo testing promptly for early identification of infected persons.

     The Transport Department (TD) announced today (January 22) that starting from Monday (January 25), a new round of COVID-19 voluntary testing services will be arranged for taxi and public light bus (PLB) drivers and employees of local ferry operators.
 
     Testing is an integral part of the strategy in preventing and fighting the virus. The TD will continue to arrange a new round of free voluntary testing services for taxi and PLB drivers for a period of two weeks from January 25 to February 7. The locations, opening dates and hours of the five designated testing centres are at the Annex. 
    
     Taxi and PLB drivers may make an appointment via the dedicated online booking system of the TD (https://covidtest.td.gov.hk) starting from tomorrow (January 23). At the time of appointment, drivers should provide their Hong Kong identity card number, select a time slot and designated testing centre, and fill in a contact number for receiving SMS notifications. Upon completion of registration, the system will display the booking confirmation, and issue an SMS which confirms the date and time of the booking, the name of the testing centre and a booking number.
 
     Taxi and PLB drivers who have made an appointment should bring along the original Hong Kong identity card used for booking, a valid taxi driver identity plate or public light bus driver identity plate and the booking confirmation SMS, and visit the selected testing centre during the appointment time slot. Duty officers of the testing agency will assist drivers with the registration and collect the specimen of the combined nasal and throat swab test. The testing agency will deliver the specimens collected to the laboratory for testing. As no personal information will be indicated on the specimen bottles, the testing agency will only have records of the barcode number of the specimen bottles and will not collect personal information. Drivers who have a negative test result will receive an SMS notification, while cases with positive test results will be relayed to the Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health for follow-up.
 
     Taxi drivers who have completed the testing will be given a "Participation Tag for Taxi Drivers" at the testing centre and may display the tag at a prominent position inside the taxi compartment to enable passengers' checking.
 
     As to employees of local ferry operators, the ferry operators have already notified their employees to bring along their valid staff identity cards or letters issued by the ferry operators during specific time slots from January 25 to 28 to undergo the test at specified locations.
 
     The TD strongly appeals to taxi and PLB drivers and employees of local ferry operators to participate in the testing to assist in safeguarding public health and minimise the risk of community transmission.
 
     For details of the testing service, please visit the website of the TD (www.td.gov.hk).

     The Labour Department (LD) is highly concerned about a fatal work accident that happened at a housing estate in Tuen Mun yesterday afternoon (January 21), in which a male worker while performing refuse clearing work on an upper floor of a building fell through a refuse chute into a refuse container on the ground floor. He was certified dead later in hospital. The LD is saddened by the death of the worker and expresses its deepest sympathies to his family.
 
​     The LD's spokesman said today (January 22), "We commenced an immediate on-site investigation as soon as we were notified of the accident and issued suspension notices to the employer concerned and the property management company of the estate to suspend the use of refuse chutes to transport refuse in the estate. They cannot resume the use of the refuse chutes until the LD is satisfied that measures to abate the relevant risk have been taken."
 
     The spokesman added, "We will complete investigation as soon as possible to identify the cause of the accident, ascertain the liability of the duty holders and recommend improvement measures. We will take action pursuant to the law if there is any violation of the work safety legislation."
 
     The general duty provisions of the Occupational Safety and Health Ordinance require employers to provide safe working environments, plant and systems of work for their employees. Those who contravene the above provisions are liable to a fine of $200,000 and imprisonment for six months.
 
     In regard to yesterday's accident, the LD will issue a Work Safety Alert through its website and email, giving a brief account of the accident concerned to duty holders, workers' unions, professional bodies of safety practitioners and others, reminding the industry of the importance of following safety precautionary measures to prevent the recurrence of similar accidents.
 
     The LD will also remind the employer concerned of the liability for employees' compensation under the Employees' Compensation Ordinance, assist family members of the deceased to claim employees' compensation and closely follow up on the case. For those with financial difficulties, the LD will assist them to apply for appropriate emergency funds. Subject to the needs and wishes of family members of the deceased, the LD will also liaise with the Social Welfare Department for financial or other assistance.
 
     For the sake of securing the safety and health of employees at work, the LD appeals to employers to provide plant and systems of work that are safe and without risks to health. Employees should co-operate with their employers, adopt all safety measures and use personal protective equipment provided properly to avoid endangering their own work safety and that of other workers.

     Police today (January 22) appealed to the public for information on a woman who went missing in Kowloon City.

     Tai Lok-ting, aged 21, went missing after she was last seen in Sung Wong Toi Park on January 20 afternoon. Her family made a report to Police yesterday (January 21).
         
     She is about 1.5 metres tall, 45 kilograms in weight and of medium build. She has a round face with yellow complexion and long black hair. She was last seen wearing a grey jacket, a black and white striped shirt, grey trousers, white shoes and carrying a brown bag.

     Anyone who knows the whereabouts of the missing woman or may have seen her is urged to contact the Regional Missing Person Unit of Kowloon West on 3661 8038 or 9020 6542, or email to rmpu-kw@police.gov.hk, or contact any police station.