Wartime mentality in combating virus
Restriction-testing declaration for Jordan
24 January 2021
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Last week, Hong Kong recorded over one hundred COVID-19 confirmed cases on a single day, the highest since last month. Widespread across districts, many of these cases were from unknown sources. In Yau Ma Tei and Jordan, despite the enhanced scope and intensity of compulsory testing, the situation has remained severe. From January 1 to 20, 162 confirmed cases involving 56 buildings were recorded in the “Jordan specified area”. The imminent threat of a worsening situation is worrying.
Restriction-testing to achieve zero infection in specified areas
To break the community transmission chain as quickly as possible, the Government, with a wartime mentality, took a swift decisive measure. At 4 am yesterday (January 23), a restriction-testing declaration was made under the Prevention and Control of Disease (Compulsory Testing for Certain Persons) Regulation (Cap. 599J), requiring people within the specified “restricted area” in Jordan (bounded by Woosung Street to its east, Nanking Street to its south, Battery Street to its west and Kansu Street to its north) to undergo compulsory testing as required by the Government, and to stay in their premises until the test results of all persons in the area are mostly ascertained.
For the first time, the Government took a further step on compulsory testing by cordoning off an area and subjecting it to a “stay-in” testing order, with a target for completion within 48 hours. For people with impaired mobility and the elderly, including those in residential care homes, door-to-door collection or self-collection of deep throat saliva specimens would be arranged, while all residents in the area would be provided with simple food and basic cleaning items. We would do our best to finish the whole operation in the shortest possible time so as to minimise the disruption to citizens' daily routine.
Sewage surveillance to trace infection sources
The Environment Bureau, the Environmental Protection Department and the Drainage Services Department have been collaborating with a cross-disciplinary team of the University of Hong Kong in a research for detecting COVID-19 virus in sewage as well as applying sewage surveillance in monitoring the spread of virus in the community and individual buildings. Infected cases were identified earlier through compulsory testing on residents of buildings with persistent positive sewage testing results. This case is the first of its kind where COVID-19 patients were successfully identified in the community through integrating sewage surveillance with compulsory testing. Such a scientific and professional approach is effective and efficient in preventing and controlling the spread of virus. The Government has stepped up sewage surveillance in Yau Ma Tei and Jordan, and will conduct sewage testing in other areas as and when necessary in the light of the pandemic's development.
Concerted efforts in a race against time
The restriction-testing operation is a crucial and challenging task. With close collaboration and participation across bureaux and departments, we managed to work out the operation strategy and every detailed arrangement within a tight time frame. Departments responded positively by making flexible deployment and promptly mobilising over 3 000 members of their staff (1 600 from five disciplinary services and the rest from other departments1) to take part in the operation. Everyone engaging in this challenging task has worked around the clock with utmost diligence and raced against time to get things done, demonstrating unwavering commitment and team spirit. I would also like to express my gratitude to the contractor for swiftly setting up 51 specimen collection stations for the operation.
Compulsory testing continued to be strengthened
“Compulsory testing on a mandatory basis” is a targeted and precise strategy deemed to be particularly effective when there is a cluster outbreak among specified persons of high risk. The Government has delineated earlier the “Jordan specified area”2 and the “Sham Shui Po specified area”3. For buildings within these two areas4, if one or more confirmed cases were found in a unit in the past 14 days, or where no confirmed case was found but the sewage samples were constantly tested positive, the buildings would be covered by the compulsory testing notices under Cap. 599J. As for other districts, if confirmed cases not epidemiologically linked to each other were found in two or more units in the same building in the past 14 days, the building would also be included in the compulsory testing notice, and the residents therein would be subject to compulsory testing.
To facilitate testing in the specified areas, additional mobile specimen collection vehicles and stations have been set up nearby to provide free testing service for all residents therein regardless of whether they are subject to compulsory testing or not. Persons subject to compulsory testing may also receive testing at any community testing centres in any districts. Members of the public may also obtain a deep throat saliva specimen collection pack for free from any of the 188 distribution points in the territory and return their specimen to one of the designated collection points.
Besides, persons who had been to specified premises, symptomatic persons, staff members of residential care homes (RCHs) for the elderly, RCHs for persons with disabilities and nursing homes, day service units attached to the premises of RCHs and taxi drivers are also required to undergo compulsory testing. On the whole, the testing has been running smoothly and is conducive to achieving “early identification, early isolation and early treatment”.
It has been two months since the introduction of compulsory testing. As at January 18, more than 256 000 persons had undergone free compulsory testing at the community testing centres. Among them, 241 samples were tested preliminarily positive (a positive rate of 0.09%). While as at January 13, more than 56 000 symptomatic persons were required to undergo compulsory testing under written directions issued by private medical practitioners. Over 242 positive cases were recorded among them (a positive rate of 0.43%).
Targeted testing for free
The Government has been arranging testing for various targeted groups based on risk assessment. Currently, testing is arranged on a continuous basis for targeted groups including school teachers, staff of restaurants and bars as well as designated frontline employees of Kwai Tsing Container Terminals. One-off free testing service is also provided to foreign domestic helpers (FDHs), construction site workers and couriers (including takeaway food couriers) at the community testing centres. Over the past two months, a daily average of around 3 700 tests were carried out for these targeted groups with 19 positive cases identified (a positive rate of 0.01%).
Many people are concerned about the nearly 400 000 FDHs working in Hong Kong. Since August 2020, the Labour Department has been arranging free COVID-19 testing for FDHs who are about to start working for their new employers. Four rounds of testing have been provided so far, with over 9 100 FDHs tested as at January 18, 2021. The Government has also been providing one-off free testing service to all FDHs in Hong Kong since December 18 last year. As of last week, more than 25 000 of them had received free testing at the community testing centres, with seven positive cases identified and referred to the Centre for Health Protection for confirmation and follow-up action.
The free testing service for FDHs at the community testing centres has one week to go before closing on January 31. For those FDHs who have not yet undergone free testing, please do not miss the chance to do so. Employers may also help their FDHs by making advance bookings via the community testing centre booking system5 or arranging for them to undergo testing through other means.
Voluntary testing for convenience of the public
For members of the public who perceive themselves as having a higher risk of infection or experience mild discomfort, the Government continues to provide convenient testing service through various channels. For example, free testing is provided through the distribution points (which include 47 designated general out-patient clinics of the Hospital Authority, 121 post offices and 20 vending machines at 20 MTR stations) and 83 collection points across the territory.
As at January 18, the community testing centres had provided self-paid testing service for about 370 000 people, of which 558 samples were tested preliminarily positive (a positive rate of 0.15%). Free testing service is also provided at mobile specimen collection stations or specimen bottle distribution points set up in districts where a number of confirmed cases have been found. So far, a total of 77 mobile specimen collection stations or specimen bottle distribution points have been set up with over 368 000 persons tested. Among them, 277 samples were tested preliminarily positive (a positive rate of 0.08%).
Conclusion
COVID-19 could have been transmitted without being detected. An individual case may lead to a cluster outbreak. As the epidemic remains volatile, the Government will continue to adopt and enhance compulsory testing, targeted testing and voluntary testing to cut the silent transmission chains in the community.
The anti-epidemic experience gained over the past year has pointed to the efficacy of precise and swift testing. For persons subject to compulsory testing, the Government will seriously verify whether they have complied with the testing notice, and step up enforcement against non-compliance. Members of the public should abide by the notice requirements and undergo testing as soon as possible. This is not only for the sake of themselves, but also for the sake of others and society. In this battle against the pandemic, it is of paramount importance that we all walk an extra mile and make an extra effort. Do undergo targeted testing or voluntary testing even though you are not subject to compulsory testing. After all, we will not win this long battle simply by compulsory testing and enforcement. We also need the public to exercise self-discipline and co-operate with the Government by staying conscious and vigilant.
1 The five disciplinary services are the Hong Kong Police Force, the Immigration Department, the Customs and Excise Department, the Correctional Services Department and the Fire Services Department. Other departments include the Home Affairs Department, the Department of Health, the Social Welfare Department, the Housing Department, the Labour Department, the Transport Department, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, the Civil Engineering and Development Department, the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department, the Drainage Services Department and the Water Supplies Department.
2 Bounded by Nathan Road to its east, Jordan Road to its south, Ferry Street to its west and Kansu Street to its north.
3 Bounded by Yen Chow Street to its northwest, Tai Po Road to its northeast, Maple Street to its southeast and Lai Chi Kok Road to its southwest.
4 Except the “core area” bounded by Temple Street to its east, Ning Po Street to its south, Reclamation Street to its west and Pak Hoi Street to its north.
5 Those without an advance booking are required to pay $240 for the test.
