The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) today (January 17) reminded members of the public that "restriction-testing declaration" (RTD) have been made for the residences of four of the cases tested preliminarily positive and one case tested indeterminate for SARS-CoV-2 virus the CHP is following up. The CHP strongly reminds relevant residents that they must comply with the RTD operations. Any person who fails to present an SMS notification with a test result or wear a wristband 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 RTD is an offence and the offender may be liable to a fine of level 4 ($25,000) and imprisonment for six months.

     The four cases tested preliminarily positive involve a family who resides in Po Wah Court, 450-464 Un Chau Street, Cheung Sha Wan. The cases involved a 29-year-old male (asymptomatic; worked as a takeaway food courier in Sham Shui Po District and last went to work in early January); a 31-year-old female (asymptomatic); a nine-year-old boy (asymptomatic; studied in Li Cheng Uk Government Primary School and last went to school on January 14); and a one-year-old girl (developed symptoms on January 16). All four persons have no recent travel history. During the contact tracing of the earlier case 13045, it was revealed that case 13045 stayed at the same room with a member of this family (who tested negative) at Silka Seaview Hotel Hong Kong for quarantine after arrival in Hong Kong from abroad and met with the above four members of this family on January 10, the CHP thus sent all the five members of this family to quarantine centre on January 15 and four of them tested preliminarily positive today.
 
     The Government has made an RTD tonight for the building where the patients resided (Po Wah Court, 450-464 Un Chau Street, Cheung Sha Wan). The places where the patients had visited during the incubation period will also be included in a compulsory testing notice. Specified persons who were present at the relevant venues at specified periods need to undergo compulsory testing on the specified date.
      
     Separately, the case tested indeterminate involves a 23-year-old female living in Kui Wo House, Tai Wo Estate, Tai Po. She is asymptomatic and her sample collected at a mobile specimen collection station on January 16 tested indeterminate. The CHP has sent her to a public hospital where her sample will be collected to confirm if she is not an infection case. The Government assessed that risk of infection in the relevant area cannot be ruled out at this stage and decided to make an RTD tonight for the building where she resided (Kui Wo House, Tai Wo Estate, Tai Po).

     The spokesman for the CHP said, "The Government has remained vigilant and has been closely monitoring the latest scientific data on mutant strains as well as the epidemic situation of various places. The most stringent anti-epidemic measures will be implemented to prevent the mutant strains from spreading in the local community."

     ​At the moment, the adverse impact on the epidemic situation caused by the newly emerged mutant strains is not fully known yet, but vaccination is still essential to prevent severe cases and deaths from COVID-19 infection. The Government has launched the COVID-19 Vaccination Programme. Members of the public are encouraged to get vaccinated. Details of the programme can be found at the designated website (www.covidvaccine.gov.hk).

Ends/Monday, January 17, 2022
Issued at HKT 21:05

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