Government enforces "restriction-testing declaration" and compulsory testing notice in respect of Nga Kwai House in specified "restricted area" in Kwai Chung (with photo)

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     The Government yesterday (January 22) exercised the power under the Prevention and Control of Disease (Compulsory Testing for Certain Persons) Regulation (Cap. 599J) to make a "restriction-testing declaration" effective from 8pm yesterday, under which people (hereafter referred to as "persons subject to compulsory testing") within the specified "restricted area" in Kwai Chung (i.e. Hiu Kwai House, Yuk Kwai House and Nga Kwai House in Kwai Chung Estate) were required to stay in their premises and undergo compulsory testing. Persons subject to compulsory testing are required to stay in their premises until all such persons identified in the "restricted area" have undergone testing and the test results are mostly ascertained. In addition, the Government had issued a compulsory testing notice yesterday to any person who had been present at the building for more than two hours from January 13, 2022 to January 22, 2022 to undergo compulsory testing on or before January 24, 2022 even if they were not present in the "restricted area" at the time when the declaration took effect. The Government finished the compulsory testing exercise at Nga Kwai House of the "restricted area" at around 9.45am today (January 23) and is now carrying out enforcement actions in Nga Kwai House to verify that people in Nga Kwai House have undergone compulsory testing. The Government will further announce the revocation time of the declaration.

     Starting from around 9.45am today, persons in Nga Kwai House of the "restricted area" in Kwai Chung who have undergone testing and are able to present SMS notifications with negative test results or wear wristbands as proof of having undergone testing may leave the "restricted area" through the designated exit after providing personal information to a prescribed officer.

     The Government set up temporary specimen collection stations in the "restricted area" yesterday and requested persons subject to compulsory testing to collect combined nasal and throat swab samples at the stations to undergo a COVID-19 virus test before 1am today. As at 1am today, around 1 840 residents and visitors of Nga Kwai House had undergone testing, among which two cases tested preliminarily positive were found. The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health will arrange to follow up.

     Moreover, the Government also assigned staff to visit around 800 households of Nga Kwai House, among which around 115 households did not answer the door. The Government will take measures to follow up.

     The Government reiterates that enforcement actions will be taken seriously. 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 "restriction-testing declaration" is an offence and the offender may be liable to a fine of level 4 ($25,000) and imprisonment for six months.

Ends/Sunday, January 23, 2022
Issued at HKT 11:04

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The Government yesterday (January 22) made a "restriction-testing declaration" and issued a compulsory testing notice in respect of the specified "restricted area" in Kwai Chung (i.e. Nga Kwai House, Kwai Chung Estate), under which people within the specified "restricted area" in Kwai Chung were required to stay in their premises and undergo compulsory testing. Photo shows staff members collecting samples through combined nasal and throat swabs for persons subject to compulsory testing in the "restricted area".