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LCQ12: Arrangements for following up on compulsory testing notices
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     Following is a question by the Hon Yang Wing-kit and a written reply by the Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, in the Legislative Council today (July 6):

Question:

     It has been reported that a restaurant has recently been included as a specified place in a compulsory testing notice (CTN), but its owner has not received a notification from the Department of Health (DH) and has only learned of the relevant arrangements from news reports. Regarding the arrangements for following up on CTNs, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) of the details of the epidemiological investigation conducted and the notification mechanism adopted by DH with regard to confirmed cases of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 at present, and whether DH has proactively notified the persons-in-charge of the premises visited by confirmed patients and the management offices of the buildings resided by such patients of the arrangements pertaining to CTNs, and suggested the persons concerned carrying out cleaning and disinfection; if not, of the reasons for that; if so, whether it has reviewed if the aforesaid restaurant case involves human negligence on the part of DH, and the improvement measures in place;
 
(2) as it is learnt that the Government will inspect the residential buildings set out in CTNs to confirm if the residents have undergone testing as required, of the government departments responsible for conducting the inspection and the manpower involved, and the criteria adopted for selecting the place and time of inspection;
 
(3) of the number of residents involved in the inspection exercises mentioned in (2) since the outbreak of the epidemic, and set out the following information by inspection date: (i) name of buildings, (ii) the number of persons ticketed and fined as well as issued with compulsory testing orders (CTOs) for failing to comply with CTNs, and (iii) the number of persons who did not comply with CTOs and the penalties imposed on them;
 
(4) regarding the restaurants set out in CTNs, how DH will follow up with their patrons' compliance with CTNs, and of the manpower involved; and
 
(5) of the following information of the patrons mentioned in (4) since the implementation of the vaccine pass (set out by type and name of restaurants): (i) the number of persons ticketed and fined as well as issued with CTOs for failing to comply with CTNs, and (ii) the number of persons who did not comply with CTOs and the penalties imposed on them?
 
Reply:
 
President,
 
     The Government has been closely monitoring the epidemic development and taking timely, effective and precise prevention and control measures based on scientific judgements to stabilise the epidemic situation and reduce infections, while making every effort to curb severe cases and deaths of COVID-19 to ensure that our healthcare system will not collapse due to the epidemic, reduce the impact of the epidemic and anti-epidemic measures on people's lives, and enable a steady recovery of our social and economic development, as well as resumption of our ties with the Mainland and the international community in a gradual and orderly manner.
 
     To this end, the Government have been reviewing Hong Kong's emergency response capacity and strengthening the necessary containment and contingency measures on all fronts in a bid to achieve maximum cost-effectiveness. With an emphasis on "three reductions, three focuses and one priority", that is reducing infections, severe cases and deaths, controlling key groups of people, organisations and areas, and according priority to the elderly, the Government strive to contain the fifth wave of the epidemic and reverse the upward trend to safeguard the lives and health of the public.
 
     The reply to the various parts of the question raised by the Hon Yang Wing-kit is as follows:
 
(1) In response to the slightly subdued epidemic situation after the peak of the fifth wave, the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) has restarted epidemiological investigations and contact tracing since May 1 to reduce community infections with intensified efforts. Currently, the CHP of the DH will conduct genetic analysis for all positive samples, and will focus on carrying out epidemiological investigations and contact tracing on each suspected case involving sub-lineages of mutant strain (such as BA.2.12.1, BA.4 or BA.5) as revealed by the analysis. The CHP will issue compulsory testing notices (CTNs) in respect of catering premises which have been patronised by the case concerned during the communicable period, and will also notify the catering premises concerned. The Government will issue notifications of exposure risk to customers who have been to the relevant catering premises during the period concerned through the "LeaveHomeSafe" mobile app.
 
(2) Upon reviewing a basket of factors, including the viral load in sewage testing and the positive cases in the buildings involved, the Government will deploy staff from various district offices, the Police and the DH to the buildings included in the CTNs for enforcement actions. The manpower required depends on the location and the number of residents in the building concerned. In general, around 30 to 70 staff members take part in each operation.
 
(3) Since the outbreak of the fifth wave, the Government has deployed staff to carry out enforcement operations on 14 buildings included in the CTNs. During these operations, the test records of over 3 800 persons subject to compulsory testing were checked; compulsory testing orders (CTOs) were issued to 242 persons; and CTOs and fixed penalty notices were issued to 12 persons. Details are set out in the table below.
 
  Buildings included in CTNs Operation date Persons checked CTOs issued CTOs and fixed penalty notices issued
1 Yen Kung Mansion, Kam Din Terrace, Taikoo Shing 8/1/2022 320 46 0
2 Block 6, On Ning Garden, Tseung Kwan O 14/1/2022 430 11 0
3 Block B3, B4 and C2, Coral Court, North Point 14/1/2022 130 3 0
4 Block B3, B4 and C2, Coral Court, North Point 18/1/2022 50 1 0
5 Block 1, 2 and 3, Tropicana Gardens, Wong Tai Sin 24/1/2022 560 34 0
6 Block 5 and 6, Sea Crest Villa Phase 2, Tsuen Wan 24/1/2022 180 0 0
7 Kong Cheong Court, Aberdeen Centre 24/1/2022 220 0 9
8 Block 9, Grand Yoho, Yuen Long 23/4/2022 200 5 0
9 Tower 5, The Greenwood, Laguna Verde, Kowloon 3/5/2022 120 11 0
10 Hoi Ning House (Block A), Hoi Fu Court, Kowloon 7/5/2022 500 85 0
11 Tower 10, Tierra Verde, Tsing Yi 16/5/2022 280 5 0
12 Block 13, Lung Mun Oasis, Tuen Mun 23/5/2022 296 17 0
13 Block 5, Seaview Crescent, Tung Chung 1/6/2022 303 12 1
14 Tower 2, University Heights, Hong Kong 13/6/2022 228 12 2
 
(4) In view of the latest developments in the epidemic situation, the Government resumed the issuing of CTNs on March 22, 2022 to require relevant persons who visited places with higher infection risks to undergo nucleic acid tests. The Contact Tracing Offices under the CHP of the DH will conduct epidemiological investigations and contact tracing on confirmed cases, including obtaining through the "Vaccine Pass" the list of persons who visited the premises with outbreaks and issued with CTNs, and following up on these persons' test results. The Contact Tracing Offices currently has 200 serving and retired disciplined service officers, with the latter being employed on a contract basis.
 
     The Compulsory Testing Prosecution Office under the DH is responsible for taking follow-up and prosecution actions for non-compliance with CTNs, including issuing CTOs and fixed penalty notices as well as initiating prosecution actions against offenders.  The office is currently manned by 95 staff.
 
     The above staff are responsible for handling different areas of work relating to epidemiological investigations, contact tracing and enforcement actions, and different areas of the operation are related to following up of cases involving catering premises. Therefore, the Government do not have the breakdown of manpower figures for only following up on cases involving customers of catering premises.
 
(5) Since the resumption of issuing of CTNs, as at June 25, the CHP of the DH has issued CTNs based on epidemiological investigations and contact tracing to 178 catering premises covered under the Prevention and Control of Disease (Requirements and Directions) (Business and Premises) Regulation (Cap. 599F). Regarding cases issued with fixed penalty notices and CTOs for non-compliance with CTNs concerning catering premises, as at June 25, 2022, the DH has processed 27 fixed penalty notices and 69 CTOs involving a total of six catering premises. The related figures are set out in the following table. So far, there have not been any persons convicted due to non-compliance with CTOs.
 
    Fixed penalty notices CTOs
1 Imperial Kitchen (HK) Limited 2 2
2 Tamjai Yunnan Mixian, Tung Chung 3 4
3 Zentral 19 44
4 The LINQ 1 7
5 Shuffle 2 8
6 FLM 0 4

 
Ends/Wednesday, July 6, 2022
Issued at HKT 17:35
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