Government enforces "restriction-testing declaration" and compulsory testing notice in respect of specified "restricted area" in Wo Tai House, On Tai Estate, Kwun Tong

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The Government yesterday (March 2) 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 6pm yesterday, under which people (hereafter referred to as "persons subject to compulsory testing") within the specified "restricted area" in Kwun Tong (i.e. Wo Tai House, On Tai Estate, Kwun Tong, excluding the car park thereat and Christian Action Lo Kwee Seong On Tai Service Centre and Christian & Missionary Alliance On Tai Kindergarten on UG/F) 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 February 17 to March 2, 2022 to undergo compulsory testing on or before March 4, 2022 even if they were not present in the "restricted area" at the time when the declaration took effect. As a mutant strain is involved, for prudence's sake, vaccinated persons and persons who have recently been tested are also required to undergo testing. The Government finished the compulsory testing exercise at around 1pm today (March 3) and is now carrying out enforcement actions in the "restricted area" to verify that all people in the "restricted area" have undergone compulsory testing. The Government will further announce the revocation time of the declaration.

Starting from around 1pm today, persons in the "restricted area" in Wo Tai House, On Tai Estate who have undergone testing and are able to present SMS notifications with negative test results 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 11pm last night. As at 11pm last night, around 1 930 people within the area had undergone testing. 251 cases tested preliminarily positive and 18 indeterminate cases were found. The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health will arrange to follow up.

The Government provided food packs for persons so as to facilitate the meal arrangements of some persons subject to compulsory testing. Proprietary Chinese medicines supplied by the Central Government were also provided to persons subject to compulsory testing to help them fight against the virus.

Moreover, the Government also assigned staff to visit around 870 households, among which 104 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 $10,000. 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/Thursday, March 3, 2022
Issued at HKT 13:35

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