The Government will set up a mobile specimen collection station outside Tower 18, Hong Kong Parkview, 88 Tai Tam Reservoir Road tomorrow (December 28) to provide free testing service for residents and workers subject to compulsory testing.

     Furthermore, the address of a specified premises included in the compulsory testing notice announced earlier today (December 27) should be Smartone Mobile Communications Limited, Room 901 to 923, 9/F, Kowloonbay International Trade & Exhibition Centre, 1 Trademart Drive, Kowloon Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong. Any person who had been present at that premises for more than one hour at any time during the period from December 8 to December 26, 2021 (including but not limited to full-time, part-time and relief staff and visitors), has to undergo testing by December 28, 2021. If persons subject to compulsory testing have previously undergone testing between December 24 and December 26, 2021, they would be taken to have complied with the requirements set out in the compulsory testing notice.

     If Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No. 3 or above, the Red or Black Rainstorm Warning Signal or the post-super typhoon "extreme conditions" announcement by the Government is in force at any time during the period for undergoing the compulsory testing, the period for undergoing the compulsory testing will be extended for one day. Outdoor mobile specimen collection stations will be closed if the Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No. 3 or the Red Rainstorm Warning Signal is in force while all mobile specimen collection stations together with all community testing centres (CTCs) will be closed when the Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No. 8 or higher or the Black Rainstorm Warning Signal is in force.

     CTCs provide testing services for the public, including free service for persons subject to compulsory testing. Booking and walk-in services are available. Members of the public only need to provide simple personal information on the 24-hour booking system (www.communitytest.gov.hk/en). The system shows the booking status of the centres for the coming two weeks to facilitate the public's planning and selection of a suitable testing centre and a time slot for testing. The testing centres will accord priority to serve individuals with advance bookings. As of 6pm today, there were around 31 000 booking places available for tomorrow at the CTCs, and around 93 per cent availability for booking places for the coming seven days. Members of the public may call the testing centres for enquiries on the availability of bookings or walk-in quotas before visiting the centres.

     Free testing service will be provided to persons subject to compulsory testing at CTCs and mobile specimen collection stations located at 33 places in various districts tomorrow. The testing capacity should be sufficient to meet the demand. Persons subject to compulsory testing and those with the "LeaveHomeSafe" COVID-19 exposure notification or SMS notification from the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) reminding them to undergo testing as soon as possible may receive free testing at CTCs or mobile specimen collection stations (if the service scope is applicable). The opening dates and operating hours of the mobile specimen collection stations are stated in Annex.

     People whose test results are negative will be informed by SMS message through their mobile phones. Persons subject to compulsory testing must keep the relevant records properly. If any specimen tested shows a preliminarily positive COVID-19 result, the specimen will be referred to the Public Health Laboratory Services Branch of the Department of Health for a confirmatory test. Confirmed cases will be followed up and announced by the CHP.

     The Government reminds the public that they can undergo COVID-19 testing through various means. For details, please refer to www.coronavirus.gov.hk/eng/early-testing.html. If a person has symptoms, he or she should seek medical attention immediately and should not attend the mobile specimen collection stations or CTCs.

     A spokesman for the Food and Health Bureau urges all individuals who are in doubt about their own health conditions, or individuals with infection risks (such as individuals who visited places with epidemic outbreaks or had contact with confirmed cases), to undergo testing promptly for early identification of infected persons.

Ends/Monday, December 27, 2021
Issued at HKT 21:13

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