Residential care home staff may choose to undergo tests at mobile specimen collection stations

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     The Social Welfare Department today (December 4) said that staff members of residential care homes for the elderly (RCHEs), residential care homes for persons with disabilities (RCHDs) and nursing homes may choose to undergo polymerase chain reaction-based nucleic acid tests for COVID-19 at the mobile specimen collection stations set up by the Government in various districts. Persons who are subject to compulsory testing and undergo testing at the mobile specimen collection stations will be deemed to have undergone a test at a community testing centre.

     The Secretary for Food and Health on November 30 issued a compulsory testing notice under section 10(1) of the Prevention and Control of Disease (Compulsory Testing for Certain Persons) Regulation (Cap. 599J), requiring staff members of RCHEs, RCHDs and nursing homes to undergo polymerase chain reaction-based nucleic acid tests for COVID-19 between December 1 and 14 according to the requirements and procedures specified in the notice. The sample must not be taken by the person himself/herself.

     A spokesman for the Social Welfare Department (SWD) said apart from receiving specimen collection services in any of the Community Testing Centres or the two Temporary Testing Centres dedicated for staff members of RCHEs, RCHDs and nursing homes or self-arranging testing at their own expenses, the concerned staff members may bring along with a registration form completed by their residential care homes for on-site registration, specimen collection and testing at the five mobile specimen collection stations. No advance booking is available and the test is free of charge.

     Details of the five mobile specimen collection stations are as follows:

(1) Sha Tsui Road Playground, Tsuen Wan
Date: From today until further notice
Opening hours: Daily from 10am to 8pm

(2) Carpark of the Sai Kung Jockey Club Town Hall, 8 Chan Man Street, Sai Kung
Date: From today until further notice
Opening hours: Daily from 10am to 8pm

(3) Basketball Court, Tai Po Community Centre, No. 2 Heung Sze Wui Street, Tai Po
Date: From today until further notice
Opening hours: Daily from 10am to 8pm

(4) Open area outside Tai Wo Neighbourhood Community Centre, Tai Wo Estate, Tai Po
Date: From today until further notice
Opening hours: Daily from 10am to 8pm

(5) Wong Tai Sin Square
Date: From today until December 10 (Thursday) (tentative)
Opening hours: Daily from 10am to 8pm

     People whose test results are negative will be informed by SMS through their mobile phones. For more details of the information and location of the five mobile specimen collection stations, please visit the SWD's website (www.swd.gov.hk).

Ends/Friday, December 4, 2020
Issued at HKT 20:56

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