The fresh round of the Fitness Centre Subsidy Scheme launched under the Anti-epidemic Fund will open for applications tomorrow (January 8). The Scheme aims to provide a one-off subsidy of $100,000 to each fitness centre with a view to easing their cash flow pressure and alleviating their financial burden arising from their closure starting from December 10, 2020 as directed under the Prevention and Control of Disease (Requirements and Directions) (Business and Premises) Regulation (Cap. 599F)(the Regulation).
      
     The deadline for application is February 8. Applications will be processed during the application period and will be assessed on the basis of all the information provided. To avoid delays in processing, applicants should ensure the accuracy of the information submitted.
      
     The Home Affairs Bureau (HAB) has commissioned the Physical Fitness Association of Hong Kong, China to assist in the implementation of the Scheme. For enquiries concerning the Scheme and the application procedure, please call 2389 3538 or send an email subsidy4.0@hkpfa.org.hk. The application form and guidelines can be downloaded from the website of the HAB (www.hab.gov.hk/en/policy_responsibilities/fitness/aefv4.htm).
      
     According to the Regulation and the application guidelines of the Scheme, eligible fitness centres must possess a fixed address and an individually operated premises in Hong Kong where its principal and substantive business is to provide exercise machines or equipment in the premises for use, and/or to give advice and instruction on, training for or assistance in improving physical fitness, including bodybuilding, dancing, yoga, pilates, body stretching and martial arts.

     An Indian illegal worker holding a recognisance form was jailed at Shatin Magistrates' Courts yesterday (Janurary 6).
      
     Immigration Department (ImmD) investigators received a referral from the Hong Kong Police Force to further investigate an illegal employment case in November 2016. Enforcement officers arrested a male Indian worker, aged 28, who was conveying goods in Sheung Shui. Upon identity checking, he produced for inspection a recognisance form issued by the ImmD, which prohibits him from taking employment. Further investigation revealed that he was a non-refoulement claimant. A Hong Kong resident employer suspected of employing the illegal worker was also arrested.
 
     The illegal worker was charged at Shatin Magistrates' Courts with taking employment after landing in Hong Kong unlawfully and remaining in Hong Kong without the authority of the Director of Immigration or while being a person in respect of whom a removal order or deportation order was in force. He was granted bail but absconded not until intercepted by the Hong Kong Police Force in September last year. Subsequently, he was further charged of failing to surrender to custody. After the trial, he was convicted and sentenced to 15 months' imprisonment. The Hong Kong resident employer who employed that illegal worker was also charged with being an employer of a person who is not lawfully employable and sentenced to eight weeks' imprisonment earlier.
      
     The ImmD spokesman warned that, as stipulated in section 38AA of the Immigration Ordinance, illegal immigrants or people who are the subject of a removal order or a deportation order are prohibited from taking any employment, whether paid or unpaid, or establishing or joining in any business. Offenders are liable upon conviction to a maximum fine of $50,000 and up to three years' imprisonment. The Court of Appeal has issued a guideline ruling that a sentence of 15 months' imprisonment should be applied in such cases. Besides, a person admitted to be bail who, without reasonable cause, fails to surrender to custody as shall have been appointed by a court, commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine of $75,000 and to imprisonment for six months, and on conviction upon indictment to a fine of any amount and to imprisonment for 12 months.

     The spokesman reiterated that it is a serious offence to employ people who are not lawfully employable. The maximum penalty is imprisonment for three years and a fine of $350,000. The High Court has laid down sentencing guidelines that the employer of an illegal worker should be given an immediate custodial sentence. According to the court sentencing, employers must take all practicable steps to determine whether a person is lawfully employable prior to employment. Apart from inspecting a prospective employee's identity card, the employer has the explicit duty to make enquiries regarding the person and ensure that the answers would not cast any reasonable doubt concerning the lawful employability of the person. The court will not accept failure to do so as a defence in proceedings. It is also an offence if an employer fails to inspect the job seeker's valid travel document if the job seeker does not have a Hong Kong permanent identity card. The maximum penalty for failing to inspect such a document is imprisonment for one year and a fine of $150,000.
      
     Under the existing mechanism, the ImmD will, as a standard procedure, conduct initial screening of vulnerable persons, including illegal workers, illegal immigrants, sex workers and foreign domestic helpers, who are arrested during any operation with a view to ascertaining whether they are trafficking in persons (TIP) victims. When any TIP indicator is revealed in the initial screening, the officers will conduct a full debriefing and identification by using a standardised checklist to ascertain the presence of TIP elements, such as threat and coercion in the recruitment phase, and the nature of exploitation. Identified TIP victims will be provided with various forms of support and assistance, including urgent intervention, medical services, counselling, shelter, temporary accommodation and other supporting services. The ImmD calls on TIP victims to report crimes to the relevant departments.

Attention duty announcers, radio and TV stations:

Yellow fire danger warning

     The fire danger situation today (January 7) is yellow and the risk of fire is high. People are urged to prevent fires breaking out and hikers should also be vigilant.
 

     Police are investigating a murder and person fell from height case in Yau Ma Tei yesterday (January 6) in which a 34-year-old mainland woman and her 5-month-old daughter died.

     At 4.50pm yesterday, Police received a report from a security guard that the two persons were found lying on a podium at 18 Wylie Road and suspectedly fell from height.

     Police officers were deployed to the scene. The woman and the baby girl were certified dead at scene. Initial investigation revealed that they fell from a unit. No will note was found at scene.

     Post-mortem examinations will be conducted later to ascertain the cause of deaths of the deceased.

     Active investigation by the District Crime Squad of Yau Tsim District is underway.

     The Government has exercised the power under the Prevention and Control of Disease (Compulsory Testing for Certain Persons) Regulation (Cap. 599J) and gazetted compulsory testing notices and specifications, which require any person who had been present at two specified premises during the specified periods to undergo a COVID-19 nucleic acid test, and continue to empower a registered medical practitioner to require any person whom he clinically suspects has contracted COVID-19 to undergo a test during a period of 14 days from January 9 to January 22, 2021.

     A spokesman for the Food and Health Bureau (FHB) said today (January 6), "To cut the transmission chain in the community as soon as possible, the Government has expanded the scope for 'compulsory testing on mandatory basis'. If confirmed cases not epidemiologically linked to each other were found in two or more units in the same building in the past 14 days, the building would be included in the compulsory testing notice under Cap. 599J. Persons who had been present at the relevant building in the past 14 days will have to undergo compulsory testing. One building fulfilling the above criteria is covered by the compulsory testing notice today."
 
     "In addition, the Government published on December 28, 2020 a compulsory testing notice, requiring any person who had been present at Fung Chak House of Choi Wan (II) Estate, 55 Clear Water Bay Road, Wong Tai Sin for more than two hours during the specified period to undergo testing by December 31, 2020. As the sewage samples in Fung Chak House were still constantly tested positive, the relevant persons have to undergo a second test."
 
     "Furthermore, according to expert advice, compulsory testing for symptomatic patients can effectively slow down the transmission of the virus by early identification, early isolation and early treatment. As the recent epidemic situation remains serious, the Government considers it necessary to continue to solicit help from medical practitioners in identifying possibly infected persons as soon as possible."

     Details are as follows:

Compulsory testing notices
—————————–

1. Any person who had been present at Chung Chi House of Chung On Estate, 632 Sai Sha Road, Ma On Shan for more than two hours at any time during the period from December 24, 2020, to January 6, 2021 (including but not limited to visitors, residents and workers), have to undergo testing by January 9, 2021. If persons subject to compulsory testing have previously undergone testing between January 4 and January 6, 2021, they would be taken to have complied with the requirements set out in the compulsory testing notice;
 
2. Any person who had been present at Fung Chak House of Choi Wan (II) Estate, 55 Clear Water Bay Road, Wong Tai Sin for more than two hours at any time during the period from December 15 to December 28, 2020 (including but not limited to visitors, residents and workers), have to undergo testing during the period from January 6 to January 9, 2021.
  
     Persons subject to compulsory testing under the compulsory testing notices may choose to undergo testing via the following routes:
 
1. To visit any of the mobile specimen collection stations (see the list and target groups (if applicable) at www.coronavirus.gov.hk/eng/early-testing.html) for testing;
 
2. To attend any of the community testing centres (see the list at www.communitytest.gov.hk/en/);
 
3. To obtain a deep throat saliva specimen collection pack from any of the 121 post offices, vending machines set up at 20 MTR stations or 47 designated general outpatient clinics (GOPCs) of the Hospital Authority and return the specimen to one of the designated specimen collection points (see the distribution points and times, and the specimen collection points and times, at www.coronavirus.gov.hk/eng/early-testing.html);
 
4. To undergo testing at any of the GOPCs of the Hospital Authority as instructed by a medical professional of the Hospital Authority;
 
5. To self-arrange testing provided by private laboratories which are recognised by the Department of Health (DH) and can issue SMS (mobile phone text message) notifications in respect of test results (see the list at www.coronavirus.gov.hk/pdf/List_of_recognised_laboratories_RTPCR.pdf); or
 
6. To use a specimen bottle distributed to the relevant specified premises by the Centre for Health Protection (if applicable), and return the specimen bottle with the sample collected as per the relevant guidelines.

     The spokesman cautioned that testing received at accident and emergency departments of the Hospital Authority or during hospital stays, or testing provided by private laboratories which cannot issue SMS notifications in respect of test results, does not comply with the requirements of the aforementioned compulsory testing notices.

     "If persons subject to compulsory testing have symptoms, they should seek medical attention immediately and undergo testing as instructed by a medical professional. They should not attend the mobile specimen collection stations or the community testing centres."

     Persons subject to compulsory testing must keep the SMS notification containing the result of the test for checking by a law enforcement officer when the officer requires the persons to provide information about their undergoing the specified test. Furthermore, persons subject to testing 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. Any enquiries on compulsory testing arrangements may be addressed to the hotline at 6275 6901, which operates daily from 9am to 6pm. If persons subject to compulsory testing plan to conduct testing at any of the community testing centres, they can check the centre's appointment status in advance. The hotlines of the community testing centres are at www.communitytest.gov.hk/en/info/.

Relevant specifications for compulsory testing for persons clinically suspected to have contracted COVID-19
——————————————————————————————————————–
 
     During the period of 14 days from January 9 to January 22, 2021, registered medical practitioners may, by a written direction, require a person whom the medical practitioner attends to in the course of professional practice and clinically suspects to have contracted COVID-19 to undergo a COVID-19 nucleic acid test. Persons who receive the written direction (persons who are subject to testing under written directions) should undergo a test within two days after the issue date of the written direction (the testing deadline).
 
     Persons who are subject to testing under written directions may choose to undergo testing via the following routes:

(1) To use the specimen bottle provided by the registered medical practitioner who issued the written direction to collect a deep throat saliva specimen and submit the specimen bottle to designated specimen collection points by the testing deadline (see the specimen collection points and time at www.coronavirus.gov.hk/eng/early-testing.html). Having reported the case to the DH, the registered medical practitioner who issued the written direction will be notified of the test result; or

(2) To self-arrange testing provided by private laboratories recognised by the DH (see the list at www.coronavirus.gov.hk/pdf/List_of_recognised_laboratories_RTPCR.pdf) by the testing deadline and submit the test result to the medical practitioner who issued the written direction or his clinic staff by electronic mail, fax, or by hardcopy within four days after the testing deadline.

     For example, if the written direction is issued on Monday, the person subject to testing under the written direction should undergo a test via one of the above options on or before Wednesday, the testing deadline. If the test result of the specimen is preliminary positive, the specimen will be referred to the Public Health Laboratory Services Branch of the DH for a confirmatory test. Confirmed cases will be followed up and announced by the Centre for Health Protection of the DH.  
      
     "Persons who are subject to testing under written directions are suspected to be infected and should not attend the mobile specimen collection stations or the community testing centres for testing. To reduce transmission risk, relevant persons who underwent testing are advised to stay at home and avoid going out when waiting for test results."

     Any person who fails to comply with the testing notices or directions commits an offence and may be fined a fixed penalty of $5,000. The person would also be issued with a compulsory testing order requiring him/her to undergo testing within a specified timeframe. Failure to comply with the order is an offence and the offender would be liable to a fine at level 4 ($25,000) and imprisonment for six months.
              
     The spokesman said, "The Government urges all individuals who are in doubt about their own health conditions, or individuals with infection risks (such as individuals who visited places with epidemic outbreaks or contacted confirmed cases) to undergo testing promptly for early identification of infected persons. The FHB will publish compulsory testing notices regarding particular groups when necessary taking into account the epidemic development and the testing participation rate."