The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) today (February 3) announced that in view of individual confirmed cases of coronavirus disease 2019 found to be related to Hung Hom Market, for prudency sake, the market will be closed two hours earlier today at 6pm, and full-day closed tomorrow; deep cleaning and disinfection will be conducted during the closure period, so as to safeguard the health and safety of market stall tenants and the public.

     A spokesman for the FEHD said, "the FEHD has immediately cleaned and disinfected the areas at which the patients worked. Also, during the deep cleaning and disinfection period, the FEHD staff will thoroughly clean and disinfect communal areas and facilities in the market, and calls for co-operation of tenants of the market to conduct cleaning and disinfection at their respective stalls. In addition, the FEHD will arrange street washing in the vicinity of the market."

     The FEHD will maintain liaision with tenants of the market, and ask them to go to community testing centres for free testing and obtain negative results before they return to the market to work. If all goes well, the FEHD will reopen the market on February 5 (Saturday) after the completion of the deep cleansing and disinfection work.

     The spokesman said, "The FEHD attaches importance to the hygiene conditions of public markets. In addition to regular cleaning work in the daytime, market service contractors also conduct thorough cleaning in all markets after the markets are closed every day.  Starting from the second half of 2020, the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department has assisted the FEHD in checking the air change and where necessary installing air purifiers in its markets." 

     "During this epidemic period, the FEHD has already stepped up cleaning and disinfection of communal areas and facilities in the markets, including toilets, escalators, elevators and stair handrails, with diluted household bleach regularly every day. Disinfectant hand sanitisers are also provided in the markets for public use."

     The FEHD will continue to closely monitor the situation of each market, and will conduct deep cleaning and disinfection work in other markets if necessary so as to maintain environmental hygiene.

Ends/Thursday, February 3, 2022
Issued at HKT 15:54

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