The Office of the Licensing Authority (OLA) of the Home Affairs Department today (March 5) applied to the court for summonses, in accordance with the Prevention and Control of Disease (Requirements and Directions) (Business and Premises) Regulation (Cap. 599F) and the Prevention and Control of Disease (Prohibition on Group Gathering) Regulation (Cap. 599G) respectively, against the responsible person of a clubhouse (Palladium International Dance Club) located at 9/F, BCC Building, 25-31 Carnarvon Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, and a patron who was suspected of having held a group gathering in the above-mentioned premises.
      
     According to investigation, the responsible person did not comply with relevant requirements and directions issued by the Secretary for Food and Health in relation to the clubhouse under Cap. 599F in September and November 2020. The non-compliance included not having taken all reasonable steps to ensure that all persons within the clubhouse were wearing masks, having allowed live performance at the premises while some performers were not wearing masks and having no effective buffers between the performers and any guest/the audience. Separately, a patron organised a party on November 16, 2020, at the clubhouse for about 100 guests. He was suspected of violating the relevant restrictions on group gathering under Cap. 599G.
      
     Having examined all available information, the OLA applied to the court for two summonses against the responsible person of the premises and a summons against the patron who organised the party at the clubhouse. The cases will be heard in court.
      
     The OLA has been approaching all members of the clubhouse to confirm if they had visited the above premises in November last year and investigate if they had contravened any requirements under Cap. 599G and/or the Prevention and Control of Disease (Wearing of Mask) Regulation (Cap. 599I). For those who committed an offence, the OLA will issue a fixed penalty notice to them. For those who cannot be contacted, the OLA may consider further legal actions, listing the persons concerned as wanted and/or instigating prosecution.
      
     The OLA will continue to proactively take stringent enforcement action and step up inspections at clubhouses in various districts across the territory to ensure that the responsible persons of the premises and the patrons strictly comply with relevant provisions in the regulations for the prevention and control of diseases. The Government appeals to members of the public for their full compliance with various anti-epidemic requirements so as to minimise the risk of transmission of COVID-19 in the community. 

Ends/Friday, March 5, 2021
Issued at HKT 19:30

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