By The SUN
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| Labour Department offices on the 10th floor of the Cheung Sha Wan govt building will be shut |
Labour offices located on the 10th floor of the
Cheung Sha Wan Government Offices will suspend services from tomorrow, Jan 24,
until further notice after they were put under a compulsory testing notice
published today.
A government statement said those affected are the service
counters of the Minor Employment Claims Adjudication Board, the Labour
Relations Division (Kowloon West Branch Office), the Employees' Compensation Division,
the Occupational Medicine Unit (Kowloon),
the Operations Division (Kowloon Region) of the Occupational Safety Service and
the Labour Inspection Division.
All those who have booked appointments with these offices
will be informed of alternative arrangements.
The CTN covering anyone who stayed at the specified Labour
Department offices for more than one hour during between Jan 17 to 21 also
covers 94 other premises.
They include a number of restaurants and facilities in Kwai
Chung, where about 170 people have so far been detected with Covid-19.
The CTN covering 89 premises was issued after a total of
cases of Covid-19 were reported the previous day. Four of these were local
cases, three were imported, one non-locally confirmed case wh had stayed in Hong Kong, and 22 preliminary positive cases.
In addition, two pet shops were included in the CTN after
environmental samples taken from there tested positive, likely with the Delta
variant.
A further four places in Kwai Chung were added after sewage
samples taken from there also tested positive for the coronavirus.
The statement urged those covered by the CTN to strictly
follow the compulsory testing requirements and undergo the multiple tests on
time as required.
The compulsory testing requirement applies even to those who
are fully vaccinated.
All those covered are advised to closely monitor their
health conditions and seek medical attention and undergo testing even if they
have only mild symptoms.
Covered persons must go to any of the mobile specimen collection stations,
community testing centres (CTCs) or recognised local medical testing
institutions to undergo professional swab sampling in fulfilling the
requirements for compulsory testing. Young children may provide a stool
specimen for the testing.
Details of the compulsory testing notice are available on
the Centre for Health Protection's website via the following link: (www.chp.gov.hk/files/pdf/ctn_20220122.pdf).
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| Tests done at public hospitals do not comply with the CTN, says the govt |
The government will set up mobile specimen collection stations at several
locations in Kwai Chung Estate and re-open mobile specimen collection stations
at the following locations to provide free services to persons put under a CTN
today:
• Open area outside Yuk Kwai House, Kwai Chung Estate
• Badminton and basketball courts outside Luk Kwai House, Kwai Chung Estate
• Badminton and basketball courts outside Chin Kwai House, Kwai Chung Estate
• Open area next to Chau Kwai House, Kwai Chung Estate
• Volleyball court next to Chun Kwai House, Kwai Chung Estate
• Open area/ball court outside Pak Kwai House, Kwai Chung Estate
• Open area next to Tsz Kwai House or Yan Kwai House, Kwai Chung Estate
• Open area outside Mei Yue House, Shek Yip Mei Estate
• Open area outside Tower 4, Bauhinia Garden, Tseung Kwan O
• Open area outside Block 3, Po Tin Estate, Tuen Mun
• Open area outside Block 2, Tsui Ning Garden, Tuen Mun
Separately, the following mobile specimen collection stations will cease
operation today to enhance services in the most affected areas: Handball court
of Victoria Park, Causeway Bay Community Centre, Pik Long House of Shek Pai Wan
Estate, Yue Kwong Road Sports Centre, Wong Chuk Hang Recreation Ground, Cheung
Sha Wan Sports Centre, Cheung Sha Wan Playground, Lai Chi Kok Park entrance,
Arthur Street Temporary Playground in Yau Ma Tei, Tsuen Nam Road in Tai Wai,
Tai Po Community Centre, Kin Sang Community Hall in Tuen Mun and Hong Kwai
House of Cheung Hong Estate.
Persons subject to a CTN may choose to undergo testing via the
following routes:
1. To visit any of the 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 (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
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 as per relevant guidelines.
If a person subject to compulsory testing obtains a medical certificate issued
by a registered medical practitioner, proving that he or she is unfit to
undergo testing using a sample taken through combined nasal and throat swabs
because of health reasons, then he or she may choose to undergo testing via the
following routes by providing a deep throat saliva sample:
1. To obtain a deep throat saliva specimen collection pack from any of the 120
post offices, vending machines set up at 20 MTR stations or 47 designated
general out-patient clinics (GOPCs) of the Hospital Authority and return the
specimen to one of the designated specimen collection points (see the
distribution points and times, and the specimen collection points and times,
at www.coronavirus.gov.hk/eng/early-testing.html);
2. To undergo testing at any of the GOPCs of the Hospital Authority as
instructed by a medical professional of the Hospital Authority; or
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.
The statement warned that those who are tested at accident and emergency departments
of public hospitals or during hospital stays, or by private laboratories that
cannot issue SMS notifications of the test results, are not deemed to have
complied with a CTN.
Persons subject to compulsory testing must keep the SMS
notifications of their test result and the relevant medical certificate if
applicable, so these can be shown to a law enforcement officer as proof of
compliance.
In addition, they should maintain good personal hygiene,
wear a mask and avoid going out as much as possible until their test result is
out.
Any enquiries on compulsory testing arrangements may be
addressed to the hotline at 6275 6901, which operates daily from 9am to 6pm. The booking hotlines of the CTCs are available
at www.communitytest.gov.hk/en/info.
The government says it will continue to track down possibly infected persons
and “seriously verify” if they had complied with testing notices. Any violator
may be fined a a fixed penalty of $5,000.
The person would also be issued with a compulsory testing
order requiring him or her to undergo testing within a specified period.
Failure to comply with the order would make the offender liable to a fine of up
to $25,000 and imprisonment for six months.
