Government enforces "restriction-testing declaration" and compulsory testing notice in respect of specified "restricted area" in Heng On Estate, Sha Tin

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     The Government yesterday (February 22) exercised the power under the Prevention and Control of Disease (Compulsory Testing for Certain Persons) Regulation (Cap. 599J) to make a "restriction-testing declaration" effective from 2.30pm yesterday, under which people (hereafter referred to as "persons subject to compulsory testing") within the specified "restricted area" in Sha Tin (i.e. Heng Fung House, Heng On Estate, Sha Tin, excluding Conservative Baptist Ming Yan Church, Conservative Baptist Heng On Bradbury Study Center and the Family Planning Assocation of Hong Kong Ma On Shan Women's Club on G/F.) were required to stay in their premises and undergo compulsory testing. Persons subject to compulsory testing are required to stay in their premises until all such persons identified in the "restricted area" have undergone testing and the test results are mostly ascertained. In addition, the Government issued a compulsory testing notice yesterday to any person who had been present at the building for more than two hours from February 9 to February 22, 2022 to undergo compulsory testing on or before February 24, 2022 even if they were not present in the "restricted area" at the time when the declaration took effect. As a mutant strain is involved, for prudence's sake, vaccinated persons and persons who have recently been tested are also required to undergo testing. The Government finished the compulsory testing exercise at around 2pm today (February 23) and is now carrying out enforcement actions in the "restricted area" to verify that all people in the "restricted area" have undergone compulsory testing. The Government will further announce the revocation time of the declaration.

     Starting from around 2pm today, persons in the specified "restricted area" in Sha Tin who have undergone testing and are able to present SMS notifications with negative test results or wear wristbands as proof of having undergone testing may leave the "restricted area" through the designated exit after providing personal information to a prescribed officer.

     The Government set up temporary specimen collection stations in the "restricted area" yesterday and requested persons subject to compulsory testing to collect combined nasal and throat swab samples at the stations to undergo a COVID-19 virus test before 10pm yesterday. As at 10pm yesterday, around 2 100 people within the "restricted area" had undergone testing. Around 160 cases tested preliminarily positive and around 15 indeterminate cases were found. The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health will arrange follow up actions.

     Regarding cases tested preliminarily positive in the specified "restricted area", the Government has provided additional food packs, health advice for persons tested preliminarily positive pending admission to hospitals or isolation facilities, disinfection products and surgical masks to these persons and their household members pending follow-up arrangement.

     Moreover, the Government also assigned staff to visit around 810 households, among which 50 households did not answer the door. The Government will take measures to follow up.

     The Government reiterates that enforcement actions will be taken seriously. Any person who fails to present an SMS notification with a test result or wear a wristband as proof of having undergone testing breaches the compulsory testing notice and may be liable to a fine of $10,000. The person will also be issued with a compulsory testing order, requiring him/her to undergo testing within a specified time frame. Failure to comply with the compulsory testing order or the "restriction-testing declaration" is an offence and the offender may be liable to a fine of level 4 ($25,000) and imprisonment for six months.

Ends/Wednesday, February 23, 2022
Issued at HKT 15:29

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