The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) today (July 28) launched the COVID-19 testing service for staff of market stalls. The testing agency (Prenetics Limited) will progressively deliver specimen bottles to the staff of all markets stalls and personnel working in markets for collecting deep throat saliva samples from today. Persons concerned do not need to make registration online.

     A spokesman for the FEHD said, "To strengthen the anti-epidemic work, the Government earlier launched the voluntary one-off free testing service for high risk groups, which include catering business staff group (including licensed restaurants, licensed light refreshment restaurants, licensed marine restaurants, licensed factory canteens, school canteens, staff canteens, public market cooked food/light refreshment stalls and licensed cooked food hawker stalls). In view of the severe epidemic situation recently, the Government announced yesterday that the testing service will be extended to other groups including market stall tenants."

     The spokesman said, "Starting from today, the FEHD will arrange voluntary one-off free virus testing service for staff of market stalls and personnel working in markets. No online registration is required. The testing agency will be responsible for the provision of one-stop service and deliver specimen bottles to markets for collecting deep throat saliva samples, and then collect the samples 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 FEHD will work closely with the testing agency to determine priority of each market set with reference to a risk-based approach and manpower resources.

     The testing agency plans to cover markets in Wong Tai Sin and Kwun Tong in its work for these few days, and has started today by dispatching staff to Wong Tai Sin district to distribute specimen bottles. The testing agency will progressively follow up the testing work in other districts.

     The FEHD strongly appeals to market stall tenants to actively participate in the testing scheme, and continue to comply with the Government's regulation to wear a mask in markets, and to maintain personal and environmental hygiene continuously.

     For details of the testing scheme, please call the hotline of the testing agency (Prenetics Limited) at 3008 8319 or visit the FEHD website (www.fehd.gov.hk).

Ends/Tuesday, July 28, 2020
Issued at HKT 21:15

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