The Hong Kong government has declared some areas such as Tsim Sha Tsui and Yuen Long to be subject to mandatory testing

On 1 February, the Hong Kong Government invoked the Prevention and Control of Disease (Compulsory Testing of Certain Persons) Regulation (Cap. 599J) to make a declaration of restriction and testing (the "Related Declaration"), restricting the designated "Quarantine Area" in Yuen Long (i.e. The Hao Cai Western-style Building, Yuen Long, 42 to 58A An hing Street, Yuen Long) from 7:00 p.m. on the 1st, and restricting the designated "Quarantine Area" in Kowloon City (i.e. LON Ki Building, 23-35 Ma Tau Wai Road) and the "Quarantine Area" in Tsim Sha Tsui from 7:00 p.m. Residents of the Golden Luang Building, 80 Nathan Road are required to remain in their premises and undergo mandatory COVID-19 nucleic acid testing as arranged by the government. The person under examination must wait at his premises until all the persons subject to the examination in the district have completed the testing and the relevant test results have been roughly determined before leaving his premises. The Government aims to complete this action at about 7:00 a.m. tomorrow (2 February) to achieve the goal of fighting the epidemic with one heart and "clearing zero" in the community.

A Hong Kong government spokesman said: "Under Cap 599J, the Government may make declarations of restrictions and testing according to the needs of epidemic prevention. After the risk assessment, we believe that there is a need to make a declaration of restriction and testing on the 'quarantine area', confirm that all persons in the 'quarantine area' have undergone compulsory testing, cut off the chain of transmission in the area, and thus dispel the doubts of residents in the area. ”

The government will set up temporary sampling stations in the "quarantine area" and require testees to be tested by 12:00 a.m. tomorrow. The person being tested will be assigned to a sampling station for nucleic acid testing, where a combined swab of the throat and nasal cavity will be sampled. Until all persons have test results published, the person under test must remain in the premises to reduce the risk of cross-infection. The Government will arrange door-to-door sampling for people with reduced mobility and the elderly, or arrange for them to collect and submit deep throat saliva samples themselves.

The Government calls on those subjected to cooperate fully in registering and conducting testing, and to stay at home and wait patiently for the results. The Government will follow up on the compliance of persons under test with the mandatory testing announcement and the restriction and testing announcement. Any person concerned who fails to comply with the Mandatory Testing Notice is guilty of an offence punishable by a fixed fine of HK$5,000 and will receive a mandatory testing order requiring the person to be tested within the prescribed period. Failure to comply with a mandatory testing order or a declaration of restriction and testing is an offence punishable by a fourth-level fine (HK$25,000) and imprisonment for six months. (Reporter Zhu Dan, Liu Zhimin)

(Edited by Chen Yufan)