The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) continued to take stringent enforcement actions relating to anti-epidemic regulations during the Christmas period. The FEHD stepped up inspections in various districts and conducted joint operations with the Police in Central & Western, Wan Chai, Southern District, Yau Tsim, Mong Kok, Wong Tai Sin, Kwai Tsing and Tsuen Wan yesterday (December 25). The Government reminded catering business and scheduled premises operators to strictly comply with the requirements and directions under the Prevention and Control of Disease (Requirements and Directions) (Business and Premises) Regulation (Cap. 599F) (the Regulation), and customers patronising catering premises to comply with the various anti-epidemic regulations and restrictions, including the requirements on group gatherings and wearing of masks.

     A total of 229 catering premises and five other premises were inspected during the joint operations, and 440 catering premises were inspected by the FEHD on its own yesterday. The FEHD initiated procedures on prosecution against seven catering business operators suspected for breaching the requirements under the Regulation (four relating to distance or partition between tables and three relating to proper display of the poster containing the "LeaveHomeSafe" venue QR code). Enforcement actions were also taken by the Police during the joint operations. The FEHD and the Police also found a premises that has publicised holding a place of entertainment activity yesterday was not in operation during the relevant period.

     An FEHD spokesman said, "The latest directions issued by the Secretary for Food and Health in relation to social distancing measures in catering business and scheduled premises under the Regulation has been extended till January 6, 2021. Catering business operators must strictly comply with a series of requirements and restrictions, which include requirements that 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 from 6pm to 4.59am of the subsequent day; and the number of people participating in a banquet in catering premises is limited to 20; no more than two persons may be seated together at one table within any catering premises, the total number of customers allowed in catering premises must not exceed 50 per cent of the normal seating capacity; no live performance and dancing is allowed; a mask must be worn within the premises except when the person is consuming food or drink at a table therein; tables must be arranged in a way to ensure there is a distance of at least 1.5 metres or some form of partition which could serve as an effective buffer between one table and another table; body temperature screening must be conducted before the person is allowed to enter the catering premises; and hand sanitisers must be provided, etc. In addition, a person responsible for carrying on a catering business must display the poster containing the "LeaveHomeSafe" venue QR code at the entrance of the premises or at a conspicuous location. Relevant scheduled premises operators must strictly comply with the direction on closure of scheduled premises, which include places of public entertainment."

     If a person responsible for carrying on a catering business or scheduled premises contravenes the regulations under the Regulation, he or she is liable to prosecution and, upon conviction, to a maximum fine of $50,000 and imprisonment for six months.

     For customers in breach of the requirement on no more than two persons per table within catering premises, they are liable to a fixed penalty of $5,000 for violating the Prevention and Control of Disease (Prohibition on Group Gathering) Regulation (Cap. 599G). Moreover, for customers not wearing a mask when they are not eating or drinking at a table therein or they are not eating or drinking, they are liable to a fixed penalty of $5,000 for contravening the Prevention and Control of Disease (Wearing of Mask) Regulation (Cap. 599I).

     The spokeman continued, "Under section 4(1) of the Places of Public Entertainment Ordinance (Cap. 172), without a licence granted, no person shall keep or use any place of public entertainment. Offenders are liable to be prosecuted, and upon conviction to a maximum fine at level 4 ($25,000) and imprisonment for 6 months, and, for a continuing offence, a fine of $2,000 for every day."

     The spokesman stressed that the FEHD will continue to step up law enforcement and publicity efforts and will deploy additional manpower to conduct joint operations with the Police during this weekend. Stringent enforcement actions will be taken against offenders to ensure compliance of relevant regulations. The FEHD also urged catering business and scheduled premises operators and the public to abide by the law.

     The spokesman reminded catering business and scheduled premises operators and the public to exercise self-discipline and co-operate to fight the virus together. He also appealed to operators concerned to comply with relevant regulations on prevention and control of disease in a concerted and persistent manner, with a view to keeping their staff, customers and the public safe. Members of the public also have to comply with the related regulations and directions on group gatherings and mask wearing at catering premises.

  

     The Transport Department (TD) reminded members of the public that the Tuen Mun-Chek Lap Kok Tunnel will be commissioned at 8am tomorrow (December 27). Motorists can use the Tunnel to travel to and from the Northwest New Territories and North Lantau.
 
     Motorists in the Tuen Mun area, depending on the traffic conditions, are advised to use routes including Ming Kum Road, Tsing Wun Road and Lung Mun Road for accessing the Tunnel, instead of the busier Tuen Mun Road and Wong Chu Road. Signage has been installed by the TD and the Highway Department at appropriate locations to guide motorists. Since the traffic flow at the Lung Fu Road roundabout, which is the entrance and exit of the Tunnel in Tuen Mun, will be changed, motorists should pay attention to the signage at the scene, reduce speed before entering the roundabout, notice vehicles at the merging point and drive carefully.
 
     In addition, with effect from the first departure on December 28 (Monday), six franchised bus routes plying between North Lantau and the Northwest New Territories operated by Long Win Bus Company Limited (LW), namely routes No. A33 (Tuen Mun Road Bus-Bus Interchange – Airport (Ground Transportation Centre)), A33X (Tuen Mun (Fu Tai) – Airport (Ground Transportation Centre)), A34 (Hung Shui Kiu (Hung Yuen Road) – Airport (Ground Transportation Centre)), E33 (Tuen Mun Central – Airport (Ground Transportation Centre)), E33P (Siu Hong Station (South) – Airport (Ground Transportation Centre)) and NA33 (Tuen Mun (Fu Tai) – Airport (Cathay Pacific City)), will be diverted via the Tunnel and use the Tuen Mun-Chek Lap Kok Tunnel Bus-Bus Interchange.
 
     The TD reminded passengers that the bus routes will no longer travel via the Lantau Link after the diversion, and passengers cannot interchange at the bus stop at the Lantau Link. Some of the current routings or the bus stops might also change. Passengers are asked to note the bus diversion and interchange arrangements early and to plan their trips well in advance.
 
     For details of traffic and transport arrangements, please visit the TD's website (www.td.gov.hk/en/tmclkl/index.html) and LW's website (www.lwb.hk/en/tmclk.html) and mobile application. 

     The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, officiated at the commissioning ceremony of the Tuen Mun-Chek Lap Kok Link (TM-CLKL) Northern Connection today (December 26).
 
     Mrs Lam, accompanied by the Secretary for Transport and Housing, Mr Frank Chan Fan; the Permanent Secretary for Transport and Housing (Transport), Ms Mable Chan; the Director of Highways, Mr Jimmy Chan; and the Commissioner for Transport, Miss Rosanna Law, took a bus ride through the TM-CLKL Northern Connection, and was briefed on the project and the relevant traffic arrangements by Mr Jimmy Chan and Miss Law respectively.
 
     The Northern Connection is 5.5 kilometres long, of which about 5km is the Tuen Mun-Chek Lap Kok Tunnel, a subsea road tunnel connecting Tuen Mun South and the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) Hong Kong Port. Upon the opening of the Northern Connection, the TM-CLKL will be fully commissioned. The driving distance between Tuen Mun South and Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) will be reduced by some 22 kilometres and the journey time by about 20 minutes. The TM-CLKL provides an alternative road access between HKIA and the urban area in addition to the Lantau Link. It will help divert traffic to and from Lantau. A decision was made for the Northern Connection to be toll-free after an earlier review. The freed up area modified from the original toll plaza will be used as a temporary franchised bus depot and franchised bus parking site in the short to medium term.
            
     Mrs Lam said, "The commissioning of the Northern Connection has created an opportunity for the 'Quota-free scheme for Hong Kong private cars travelling to Guangdong via the HZMB'. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, together with the Guangdong Government, is pressing ahead with the scheme to allow eligible Hong Kong private cars to travel between Hong Kong and Guangdong via the HZMB without a quota. The scheme will assist Hong Kong residents to drive to Guangdong Province for business, visiting families or sightseeing on a short-term basis. In addition, the commissioning of the Northern Connection will provide better and more reliable transport infrastructure to Lantau, the aviation and land transport 'double gateway' connecting Hong Kong to other parts of the world and Mainland cities of the Greater Bay Area, thereby reinforcing Hong Kong as an international and regional hub."
 
     The Tuen Mun-Chek Lap Kok Tunnel is the longest and deepest subsea road tunnel in Hong Kong, and also the first local subsea tunnel constructed with the tunnel boring method. Its construction has deployed the world's largest tunnel boring machine with a diameter of 17.6 metres. This is also the first-time application of the saturation diving technique in Hong Kong, which allows a safer and more efficient working environment at about 60 metres below sea level. The tunnel is also the first in Hong Kong to include a service gallery underneath the tunnel carriageway, making it more convenient to carry out maintenance works in the future.
 
     Mrs Lam expressed her gratitude for the devotion of the project team, contractors, government departments and organisations, as well as the contributions of thousands of workers. She said, "The completion and commissioning of the TM-CLKL Northern Connection has once again demonstrated Hong Kong's capability in taking forward large-scale infrastructure projects."
 
     The toll-free Northern Connection will open to traffic at 8am tomorrow (December 27) and the tolls of the Lantau Link will be waived from 0.00am on the same day.

              

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.

Attention duty announcers, radio and TV stations:

Yellow fire danger warning

     The fire danger situation today (December 26) is yellow and the risk of fire is high. People are urged to prevent fires breaking out and hikers should also be vigilant.