As persons who resided or worked within the same building as the residence of local COVID-19 cases with a mutant strain will be subject to compulsory testing on specified dates in accordance with the announcement by the Department of Health (DH), the Government will re-open the mobile specimen collection station at 15-17 Mody Road in Tsim Sha Tsui tomorrow (November 21) to provide free testing service for residents and workers of Harbour Pinnacle subject to compulsory testing.

     If Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No. 3 or above, the Red or Black Rainstorm Warning Signal or the post-super typhoon "extreme conditions" announcement by the Government is in force at any time during the period for undergoing the compulsory testing, the period for undergoing the compulsory testing will be extended for one day. Outdoor mobile specimen collection stations will be closed if the Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No. 3 or the Red Rainstorm Warning Signal is in force while all mobile specimen collection stations together with all community testing centres (CTCs) will be closed when the Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No. 8 or higher or the Black Rainstorm Warning Signal is in force.

     CTCs provide testing services for the public, including free service for persons subject to compulsory testing. Booking and walk-in services are available. Members of the public only need to provide simple personal information on the 24-hour booking system (www.communitytest.gov.hk/en). The system shows the booking status of the centres for the coming two weeks to facilitate the public's planning and selection of a suitable testing centre and a time slot for testing. The testing centres will accord priority to serve individuals with advance bookings. As of 6pm today (November 20), there were around 33 000 booking places available for tomorrow at the CTCs, and around 93 per cent availability for booking places for the coming seven days. Members of the public may call the testing centres for enquiries on the availability of bookings or walk-in quotas before visiting the centres.

     Coupled with CTCs, there will be a total of 27 CTCs/mobile specimen collection stations in various districts tomorrow to provide free service for persons subject to compulsory testing. The testing capacity should be sufficient to meet the demand. The opening dates and operating hours of the mobile specimen collection stations in various districts providing free COVID-19 nucleic acid testing services for the general public are stated in the Annex. Persons subject to compulsory testing and those with the "LeaveHomeSafe" COVID-19 exposure notification or SMS notification from the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) reminding them to undergo testing as soon as possible may receive free testing at CTCs or mobile specimen collection stations (if the service scope is applicable).

     People whose test results are negative will be informed by SMS message through their mobile phones. Persons subject to compulsory testing must keep the relevant records properly. If any specimen tested shows a preliminarily positive COVID-19 result, 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 CHP.

     The Government reminds the public that they can undergo COVID-19 testing through various means. For details, please refer to www.coronavirus.gov.hk/eng/early-testing.html. If a person has symptoms, he or she should seek medical attention immediately and should not attend the mobile specimen collection stations or CTCs.

     A spokesman for the Food and Health Bureau 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 had contact with confirmed cases), to undergo testing promptly for early identification of infected persons.

Ends/Saturday, November 20, 2021
Issued at HKT 20:18

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