Government gazettes compulsory testing notice
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In view of a number of cases testing positive, nine specified places are included in the compulsory testing notice. Furthermore, since some sewage samples collected in Sheung Shui have tested positive, one specified place is included in the compulsory testing notice. The Government strongly reminds members of the public to strictly follow the compulsory testing requirements and undergo testing on time as required. Community testing centres (CTCs)/community testing stations (CTSs)/ad-hoc mobile specimen collection stations have been set up by the Government in different districts to facilitate testing to be conducted in compliance with the compulsory testing notice. The above compulsory testing requirement applies to those who have completed a COVID-19 vaccination course as well.
As the opening hours of all CTCs/CTSs across the city will be adjusted to 10am to 6pm (indoor/covered CTCs will be closed from 1.30pm to 2pm for deep cleaning and disinfection) during the Christmas (December 24 to 27), the testing deadline for compulsory testing notice issued today (December 22) is extended by one day to December 25 (Sunday).
Details of the compulsory testing notice are available on the Centre for Health Protection (CHP)'s website via the following link: www.chp.gov.hk/files/pdf/ctn_20221222.pdf.
Newly exempted persons
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The Government had earlier announced to adjust the local testing strategy with a view to using nucleic acid testing more precisely. Having regard to the adjustments, the following two types of persons will be exempted from compulsory testing starting from tomorrow (December 23), including (i) persons holding a medical certificate issued by a registered medical practitioner proving that they are unfit to undergo testing using a sample taken through a throat swab because of health reasons; and (ii) persons with genuine difficulty to undergo testing owing to mobility difficulties. In other words, the above persons are not required to undergo compulsory testing using any specimen (swab specimen or deep throat saliva (DTS) specimen) and they are advised to conduct rapid antigen tests (RATs) voluntarily where necessary.
As a result, persons who have tested positive in the past three months (including positive cases tested either by nucleic acid tests recorded by the Department of Health (DH) or by RATs that have been self-declared to the DH), young children aged under 3, and the two types of persons mentioned above do not need to undergo compulsory testing. For those who need to undergo compulsory testing, they must undergo nucleic acid tests in accordance with relevant compulsory testing notices and cannot use RATs to fulfil the requirement of such notices.
Cessation of services in relation to DTS specimen collection packs
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Meanwhile, after reviewing the usage and public demand for the testing services, the Government shall cease the distribution and collection services of DTS specimen collection packs. Starting December 24 (Saturday), DTS specimen collection packs will no longer be distributed at designated general outpatient clinics (GOPCs) of the Hospital Authority (HA), post offices and MTR stations. Starting January 1, 2023 (Sunday), DTS specimens will no longer be collected at designated GOPCs of the HA, clinics of the DH and Government premises.
In tandem with the adjustment in DTS specimen collection service, starting December 24 (Saturday), the Government will no longer continue to empower a registered medical practitioner to require any person whom he or she clinically suspects has contracted COVID-19 to undergo a COVID-19 nucleic acid test with DTS or other specimen. If a registered medical practitioner clinically suspects a person whom the medical practitioner attends to in the course of professional practice to have contracted COVID-19, he or she may appeal to the person to conduct RATs themselves as soon as possible, and report positive results to facilitate early case detection.
Other matters requiring attention
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Persons subject to compulsory testing in accordance with a compulsory testing notice must undergo professional swab sampling at any of the ad-hoc mobile specimen collection stations, CTCs/CTSs or recognised local medical testing institutions in order to fulfil the requirements for compulsory testing. Stool specimen may be used for testing when collecting respiratory specimen is not feasible for young children and those who are not suitable for respiratory specimen collection. For details on obtaining stool specimen bottles, please refer to the COVID-19 thematic website: www.coronavirus.gov.hk/pdf/Stool_bottle_collection_points.pdf.
CTCs/CTSs across the city provide free nucleic acid testing services for the public, including those who need to undergo compulsory testing, staff members of residential care homes for the elderly and residential care homes for persons with disabilities, visitors to public hospitals and residential care homes and all elderly people aged 60 or above. Persons who wish to undergo a free test just need to make an online booking or use the Testing Registration QR code in the "LeaveHomeSafe" mobile application for registration.
Booking services are available for all CTC/CTSs. Members of the public can make bookings through the online booking system (booking.communitytest.gov.hk/form/index.jsp). Members of the public can also fill in their personal information in advance to obtain the Testing Registration Code QR code through the "LeaveHomeSafe" mobile application. They can present that QR code for scanning before testing at a service point thereafter, thus saving their time spent on registration and queueing.
Persons subject to compulsory testing may choose to undergo testing via the following routes using a sample taken through combined nasal and throat swabs or throat swab:
1. To visit any of the ad-hoc mobile specimen collection stations (see the list and target groups (if applicable) at www.coronavirus.gov.hk/eng/early-testing.html) for testing;
2. To attend any of the CTCs/CTSs (see the list at www.communitytest.gov.hk/en);
3. To self-arrange testing provided by private laboratories which are recognised by the DH and can issue SMS notifications in respect of test results (see the list at www.coronavirus.gov.hk/pdf/List_of_recognised_laboratories_RTPCR.pdf), and the relevant sample must be taken through combined nasal and throat swabs or throat swab; or
4. To use a specimen bottle distributed to the relevant specified premises by the CHP (if applicable), and return the specimen bottle with the stool sample collected per relevant guidelines.
A Government spokesman cautioned that testing received at the Accident and Emergency Departments of the Hospital Authority, or testing provided by private laboratories which cannot issue SMS notifications in respect of test results, does not comply with the requirements of the aforementioned compulsory testing notice.
"If persons subject to compulsory testing have symptoms, they should seek medical attention immediately and undergo testing as instructed by a medical professional. They should not attend the ad-hoc mobile specimen collection stations or the CTCs/CTSs."
Persons subject to compulsory testing must keep the SMS notifications containing the result of the test and the relevant medical certificate (if applicable) for checking by a law enforcement officer when the officer requires the persons to provide information about their undergoing the specified test.
Any enquiries on compulsory testing arrangements may be addressed to the hotline at 6275 6901, which operates daily from 9am to 6pm.
The Government will continue to trace possibly infected persons who had been to relevant premises, and seriously verify whether they had complied with the compulsory testing notices. Any person who fails to comply with the compulsory testing notices commits an offence and the maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine at level 4 ($25,000) and imprisonment for six months. The fixed penalty for discharging the liability is $10,000. The person may also be issued with a compulsory testing order requiring him or her to undergo testing within a specified time frame. Any person in breach of the compulsory testing order would be liable to a fine at level 5 ($50,000) and imprisonment for six months.
If any persons test positive under compulsory testing, such positive cases will be handled in the same manner as in those identified through other nucleic acid tests or self-declared through RATs. Their isolation arrangements (as well as the quarantine arrangements of their household members) are no different from other positive cases.
Vaccines are highly effective in preventing severe cases and deaths from COVID-19. They can provide protection to those vaccinated to prevent serious complications and even death after infection. The Government appeals to persons who are not yet vaccinated to get vaccinated without delay. In view of the arrival of the Comirnaty Original/Omicron BA.4-5 bivalent vaccine in Hong Kong, members of the public may choose to receive the BioNTech bivalent vaccine when they make appointments through the online booking system to receive the third, fourth or fifth dose (or the second, third or fourth dose for recovered persons), while the Sinovac or the BioNTech ancestral strain vaccines can still be used. Eligible persons aged 60 or above with same-day tickets may choose the type of vaccine to be administered on site.
The spokesman said, "The Government 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 cases tested positive), to undergo testing promptly for early identification of infected persons."
Ends/Thursday, December 22, 2022
Issued at HKT 23:23
Issued at HKT 23:23
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