The Department of Health (DH) announced today (August 14) that its Temporary Specimen Collection Centre (TSCC) currently set up at AsiaWorld-Expo will be relocated to the Midfield Concourse located in the restricted area of Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) on August 18 and will continue to operate there.
 
     A spokesman for the DH said that with the larger size of the new location, more inbound travellers can be accommodated for collecting their samples for testing and waiting for test results.
 
     From 4am on August 18, those arriving in Hong Kong via HKIA will be required to proceed to the TSCC set up in the restricted area of HKIA for collecting their deep throat saliva (DTS) samples immediately upon arrival. They will need to stay at the TSCC to wait for test results, which will usually be available on the same day before they can proceed with immigration procedures. Passengers whose test results will not be available on the same day (usually passengers arriving in the afternoon or at night) can proceed with immigration procedures right after their DTS samples are collected at the TSCC. They will subsequently be taken to the DH’s Holding Centre for Test Results in a hotel by coaches arranged by the DH to wait for their test results. However, the DH will make flexible arrangements according to the capacity of the facilities and the daily number of passengers arriving on afternoon flights. If necessary, inbound travellers arriving in the afternoon could also be arranged to wait for test results at the TSCC.
 
     The spokesman reminded travellers that they should prepare to carry with them all necessities in sufficient quantities before boarding the plane as they will need to go to the TSCC set up in the restricted area of HKIA for collecting their DTS samples immediately upon arrival in Hong Kong and can only proceed with immigration procedures and collect their checked-in baggage after completing relevant testing procedures. The waiting time could be up to 12 hours or more.
 
     The DH also expresses gratitude to AsiaWorld-Expo and staff of the relevant facilities for their assistance in fighting the epidemic over the past months. 

Ends/Friday, August 14, 2020
Issued at HKT 17:30

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