The Government will exercise the power under the Prevention and Control of Disease (Compulsory Testing for Certain Persons) Regulation (Cap. 599J) and publish in the Gazette a compulsory testing notice, which requires any person who had been present at specified premises during the specified period (persons subject to compulsory testing) to undergo a COVID-19 nucleic acid test by January 7.

     A spokesman for the Food and Health Bureau (FHB) said today (January 4), "A number of confirmed cases were recently found at Ward EG of Princess Margaret Hospital within a short period of time. Members of the public who had been to the relevant place might be subject to higher infection risks. The Government will publish a compulsory testing notice under Cap. 599J, which requires persons who had been to the above premises during the specified period to undergo testing immediately. The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health also recommends other staff members of the Princess Margaret Hospital to undergo testing."
 
     Details of persons subject to compulsory testing are as follows:

     Any person who had been present at Ward EG of Princess Margaret Hospital (located on G/F of Block E of the hospital), 2-10 Princess Margaret Hospital Road, Lai Chi Kok at any time during the period from December 28, 2020 to January 3, 2021 (including but not limited to staff, patients and visitors), have to undergo testing by January 7, 2021.  If persons subject to compulsory testing have previously undergone testing between January 2 and January 4, 2021, they would be taken to have complied with the requirements set out in the compulsory testing notice.

     Persons subject to compulsory testing may choose to undergo testing via the following routes:

1. To visit any 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 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 the designated specimen collection points (see the distribution points and time, and the specimen collection points and time at www.coronavirus.gov.hk/eng/early-testing.html);

4. To undergo testing at any healthcare facilities of the Hospital Authority (including GOPCs and accident and emergency departments) as instructed by a medical professional of the Hospital Authority; or

5. To self-arrange testing provided by private laboratories which are recognised by the Department of Health and can issue SMS notifications in respect of test results (see the list at www.coronavirus.gov.hk/pdf/List_of_recognised_laboratories_RTPCR.pdf)

     "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, the Attendance Certificate, the Discharge Note, or the test report 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 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.
 
     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/.

     The Government will continue to trace possibly infected persons who had been to the relevant premises, and seriously verify whether they had complied with the testing notice. Any person who fails to comply with the testing notice 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."

     The Government announced today (January 4) that it will gazette directions and specifications under the Prevention and Control of Disease (Requirements and Directions) (Business and Premises) Regulation (Cap. 599F), the Prevention and Control of Disease (Prohibition on Group Gathering) Regulation (Cap. 599G) and the Prevention and Control of Disease (Wearing of Mask) Regulation (Cap. 599I) to maintain the social distancing measures currently in place. The directions and specifications will take effect on January 7, 2021 for a period of 14 days till January 20, 2021.
 
     A spokesman for the Food and Health Bureau said, "The COVID-19 epidemic situation in Hong Kong remains serious.  In the past two weeks, a total of 812 cases were recorded, among which over 90 per cent were local cases.  Local cases with unknown source of infection constituted around one-third of the cases.  The 7-day average number of local cases was 47, while that of local cases with unknown source of infection was 15, which clearly showed that silent transmission in the community is still active.
 
     "The Government tightened social distancing measures on December 10, 2020 and extended the measures for 14 days on December 24, 2020.  Although the number of confirmed cases declined slowly in recent days, the speed of decline was clearly slower than that in the former wave of epidemic.  The risk of rebound of the epidemic situation has not subsided, and large cluster outbreaks still happened from time to time.  The situation is worrying.  At the same time, after fighting the epidemic for months, public awareness in complying with social distancing measures has obviously declined.  Despite the severe epidemic situation, there were still a large number of people on the streets during the long holidays of winter solstice, Christmas and New Year.  Many people continued to attend cross-family gatherings."
 
     "Taking into account the latest public health risk assessment, the Government will maintain existing requirements and restrictions applicable to catering business premises and scheduled premises, as well as the requirements for group gatherings and mask wearing. We will continue to closely monitor the development of the epidemic situation. There is absolutely no room for relaxing any measures at this stage. Instead, depending on the epidemic development, we would not rule out the possibility of further tightening social distancing measures."

     The details of the extended requirements and restrictions are as follows:
 
(I) Catering business and scheduled premises
 
(1) The requirements and restrictions applicable to catering business and scheduled premises (details at Annex 1) will be maintained during the 14-day period from January 7, 2021 to January 20, 2021, including the following requirements: from 6pm to 4.59am of the subsequent day, save for specific premises (details at Annex 2), a person responsible for carrying on a catering business must cease selling or supplying food or drink for consumption on the premises of the business; no more than two persons may be seated together at one table within any catering premises; bars or pubs will continue to be closed; and except club-houses and hotels or guesthouses, all scheduled premises regulated under Cap. 599F must be closed.
 
     Persons responsible for carrying on catering businesses and managers of scheduled premises that contravene the statutory requirements under Cap. 599F would have committed a criminal offence. Offenders are subject to a maximum fine of $50,000 and imprisonment for six months.
 
(II) Group gathering
 
(2) Unless exempted, the prohibition on group gatherings of more than two persons in public places will continue during the 14-day period from January 7, 2021 to January 20, 2021. The requirement is also applicable to group gatherings in catering business and scheduled premises regulated under Cap. 599F in which the relevant requirements or restrictions are not complied with.
 
     Any person who participates in a prohibited group gathering; organises a prohibited group gathering; owns, controls or operates the place of such a gathering; and knowingly allows the taking place of such gathering commits an offence under the Cap. 599G. Offenders are liable to a maximum fine of $25,000 and imprisonment for six months. Persons who participate in a prohibited group gathering may discharge liability for the offence by paying a fixed penalty of $5,000.

(III) Mask-wearing requirement

(3) The mandatory mask-wearing requirement under Cap. 599I will be extended for a period of 14 days from January 7, 2021 to January 20, 2021. During the aforementioned period, a person must wear a mask all the time when the person is boarding or on board a public transport carrier, is entering or present in an MTR paid area, or is entering or present in a specified public place (i.e. all public places, save for outdoor public places in country parks and special areas as defined in section 2 of the Country Parks Ordinance (Cap. 208)).

     Under Cap. 599I, if a person does not wear a mask in accordance with the requirement, an authorised person may deny that person from boarding a public transport carrier or entering the area concerned, as well as require that person to wear a mask and disembark from the carrier or leave the said area. A person in contravention of the relevant provision commits an offence and the maximum penalty is a fine at level 3 ($10,000). In addition, authorised public officers may issue fixed penalty notices to persons who do not wear a mask in accordance with the requirement and such persons may discharge liability for the offence by paying a fixed penalty of $5,000.

     In light of the latest situation of the COVID-19 epidemic as well as the related arrangements for kindergartens, the Social Welfare Department (SWD) announced today (January 4) that all child care centres and special child care centres will continue to temporarily suspend services until the Chinese New Year holidays.

     To minimise the chance of infection, the SWD advises members of the public not to take their children to child care centres or special child care centres. However, these centres will remain open to serve service users who have difficulty in taking care of their children. Service users in need may contact the centres or service units concerned in advance.

     For enquiries, please call the SWD hotline on 2343 2255.
     

     The Water Supplies Department (WSD) will commence the temporary strengthening and tidying up works for Sham Shui Po Fresh Water Break Pressure Tank (the BPT) at Bishop Hill tomorrow (January 5), with a view to facilitating inspection by relevant staff inside the BPT in a safe manner for future rehabilitation and conservation.
      
     A spokesman of the WSD said today (January 4) that the BPT generally remains structurally intact. The major temporary strengthening works include support for those local concrete roof slabs which may have potential to loosen, brick arches and other structures with potential danger to ensure the structural integrity of the tank and to enhance site safety.
      
     The temporary tidying up works include the provision of secured temporary access for staff to conduct inspection; temporary drainage measures to discharge rainwater so as to prevent flooding; sorting and protection of broken brickworks taken down earlier for future rehabilitation; as well as the provision of temporary cover on the opening of the roof slab to prevent the internal structures from exposure to sunlight and other weathering effect.
      
     WSD has repaired the temporary fences of the BPT site and enhanced its security. As there is potential risk at the construction site, WSD urges members of the public not to trespass on the site area.
      
     At the same time, WSD will continue to collaborate with the Antiquities and Monuments Office to assess other underground waterworks installations including water tanks and service reservoirs.
      
     According to record, the BPT was built in 1904. WSD constructed in 1952 an additional concrete structure inside the tank as seen today. 

The following is issued on behalf of the Legislative Council Secretariat:

     The Legislative Council (LegCo) will hold a meeting on Wednesday (January 6) at 11am in the Chamber of the LegCo Complex. During the meeting, Members will debate a proposed resolution to extend the period for amending subsidiary legislations moved under section 34(4) of the Interpretation and General Clauses Ordinance.
 
     Dr Chiang Lai-wan will move a proposed resolution to extend the period for amending the Prevention and Control of Disease (Prohibition on Group Gathering) (Amendment) (No. 15) Regulation 2020, the Prevention and Control of Disease (Wearing of Mask) (Amendment) (No. 3) Regulation 2020, the Prevention and Control of Disease (Compulsory Testing for Certain Persons) (Amendment) Regulation 2020, the Compulsory Quarantine of Certain Persons Arriving at Hong Kong (Amendment) (No. 8) Regulation 2020, the Prevention and Control of Disease (Disclosure of Information) (Amendment) (No. 4) Regulation 2020, the Compulsory Quarantine of Persons Arriving at Hong Kong from Foreign Places (Amendment) (No. 5) Regulation 2020, the Prevention and Control of Disease (Requirements and Directions) (Business and Premises) (Amendment) (No. 8) Regulation 2020, the Prevention and Control of Disease (Prohibition on Group Gathering) (Amendment) (No. 16) Regulation 2020, the Prevention and Control of Disease (Regulation of Cross-boundary Conveyances and Travellers) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulation 2020, the Prevention and Control of Disease (Wearing of Mask) (Amendment) (No. 4) Regulation 2020 and the Prevention and Control of Disease (Compulsory Testing for Certain Persons) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulation 2020 laid on the table of the Council on December 9, 2020, to the meeting of January 27, 2021.
 
     Members will also ask the Government 22 questions on various policy areas, six of which require oral replies.
 
     The agenda of the above meeting can be obtained via the LegCo Website (www.legco.gov.hk). Members of the public can watch or listen to the meeting via the "Webcast" system on the LegCo Website. To observe the proceedings of the meeting at the LegCo Complex, members of the public may call 3919 3399 during office hours to reserve seats.