The Home Affairs Department (HAD) and the Hong Kong Association of Property Management Companies (HKAPMC) join hands to launch today (July 20) the "Community Testing of COVID-19 for Frontline Property Management Workers" (CTPM). COVID-19 testing service provided by the testing agency (China Dragon Inspection & Certification (H.K.) Ltd.) will be arranged for frontline property management (PM) workers (including security and cleansing workers).

     "The epidemic situation of Hong Kong has become severe since early July. To strengthen the anti-epidemic efforts, the Government has decided to provide virus testing for high risk groups to safeguard public health. Frontline PM workers will be provided with voluntary one-off free virus testing service," a spokesman for the HAD said. 

     The target beneficiaries of the CTPM are the around 100 000 frontline PM workers serving private residential, commercial, industrial and composite buildings, and more than 60 000 frontline PM workers serving buildings under different Government departments, the Hong Kong Housing Authority and the Hong Kong Housing Society. The exact number of workers that can receive the tests will be subject to the overall testing capacity. Workers participate in the CTPM on a voluntary basis.

     "The testing service for frontline PM workers starts today. The HKAPMC will co-ordinate various PM associations and companies to participate in the CTPM. The HKAPMC will also divide the workers into groups and make arrangements to facilitate the testing agency in collecting specimen, with a view to enhancing the testing efficiency. The testing costs incurred will be fully covered by the 'Anti-epidemic Fund'," the spokesman added.

     Under the CTPM, the HKAPMC will arrange with the testing agency to provide one-stop service covering specimen collection and testing. The testing agency will deploy staff to deliver specimen bottles to relevant buildings for collecting deep throat saliva samples, and collect the specimen in the subsequent one to two days for testing. Cases with positive results will be relayed to the Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health for follow-up. The HKAPMC and the testing agency will work closely with the HAD, and determine the priority of testing adopting a risk-based approach, subject to manpower resources available, and the geographical distribution of PM workers.

     The CTPM will accord higher priority to frontline PM workers serving the residential and commercial buildings, shopping malls and relevant facilities in Kowloon East, so as to step up the anti-epidemic efforts and protect the PM workers and residents therein. The testing agency has delivered specimen bottles in Yau Tong last Friday (July 17), and has collected the specimen for testing today. The testing agency will continue to provide testing services to frontline PM workers in other districts.

     The HAD strongly appeals to the PM sector for their active participation in the CTPM, their compliance with the social distancing measures announced by the Government measures, as well as their efforts in stepping up the health protection work in the properties they manage.

     For details on the CTPM, please contact the HKAPMC (hotline: 2186 6101).

Ends/Monday, July 20, 2020
Issued at HKT 23:08

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