The Government yesterday (February 8) 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 8pm yesterday, under which people (hereafter referred to as "persons subject to compulsory testing") within the specified "restricted area" in Sha Tin (i.e. Mei Fung House, Mei Lam Estate, Sha Tin, does not include Mei Lam Estate Property Services Management Office, Hong Kong Elite Athletes Association, Hong Kong Paralympic Committee & Sports Association for the Physically Disabled, Onesiphorus Mei Lam Church Ltd. and Shop No. 1-6 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 had issued a compulsory testing notice yesterday to any person who had been present at the above building for more than two hours from January 23, 2022 to February 8, 2022, even if they were not present in the "restricted area" at the time when the declaration took effect, must undergo compulsory testing on or before February 10, 2022. As a mutant strain is involved, for prudence's sake, vaccinated persons are also required to undergo testing.
 
     The Government finished the compulsory testing exercise at around noon today (February 9) 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 noon today, persons in the "restricted area" in Sha Tin who have undergone testing and are able to present SMS notifications with negative test results 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 12am today. As at 12am today, around 2 670 persons had undergone testing. A total of eight preliminary positive cases from four households and seven preliminary positive cases from four households were found in Block A and Block B of Mei Fung House respectively. The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health will take follow up action.
 
     Moreover, the Government also assigned staff to visit 1 072 households, among which 74 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 as proof of having undergone testing breaches the compulsory testing notice and may be liable to a fine of $5,000. 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 9, 2022
Issued at HKT 13:53

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