Dear Staff and Students,
We would like to share the following message on Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) from Department of Health about Specifications under Prevention and Control of Disease (Regulation of Cross-boundary Conveyances and Travellers) Regulation to be gazetted and HA to install more vending machines for specimen collection pack distribution.
Please also click to view the email attachment.
Health, Safety and Environment Office
Updated information on Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
Specifications under Prevention and Control of Disease (Regulation of Cross-boundary Conveyances and Travellers) Regulation to be gazetted and HA to install more vending machines for specimen collection pack distribution
The Government has earlier introduced the Prevention and Control of Disease (Regulation of Cross-boundary Conveyances and Travellers) Regulation (Cap. 599H) to impose testing and quarantine conditions on travellers coming to Hong Kong from very high-risk places to reduce the health risk they may bring to Hong Kong. The Secretary for Food and Health has previously published in the Gazette specifications on the relevant measures applicable to 15 specified places (i.e. Bangladesh, Belgium, Ethiopia, France, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Russia, South Africa, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States of America) and adjusted the relevant conditions having regard to the circumstances on the ground since the implementation of the regulation.
In view of the global development and severity of the COVID-19 pandemic situation, the Government announced on November 19 that it will gazette the specifications under Cap. 599H to include Ecuador and Germany as specified places starting from November 28 to more effectively combat the epidemic. The Government will continue to monitor closely the situation including the developments of the epidemic situation both globally and locally and changes in the volume of cross-boundary passenger traffic, and will not hesitate to adopt more resolute and severe measures as and when necessary.
On the other hand, the Hospital Authority (HA) announced on November 19 that more vending machines will be installed to distribute specimen collection packs, to tie in with the "Enhanced Laboratory Surveillance Programme" of the Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health in order to identify infected cases earlier and minimise the risk of community transmission. Members of the public who perceive themselves to have a higher risk of exposure and experience mild discomfort can undergo COVID-19 testing with greater convenience.
The number of GOPCs distributing specimen collection packs will be increased to 47. Details of the collection submission times and clinics are provided in the attachment.
For more details, please refer to the press release and the Annex:
Specifications under Prevention and Control of Disease (Regulation of Cross-boundary Conveyances and Travellers) Regulation to be gazetted
https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202011/19/P2020111900545.htm
HA to install more vending machines for specimen collection pack distribution
https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202011/19/P2020111900496.htm
Please visit our Facebook and Thematic Website (https://www.coronavirus.gov.hk/eng/index.html) regularly for further information and updates.
We would like to solicit your support to disseminate the information to your colleagues, work associates and/or business partners so that they could adopt proper preventive measures. Thank you very much for your support.
Department of Health
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敬啟者：
2019冠狀病毒病的最新資訊
政府就《預防及控制疾病（規管跨境交通工具及到港者）規例》下的指明刊憲 及 醫管局增設樣本收集包自動派發機
政府早前訂立《預防及控制疾病（規管跨境交通工具及到港者）規例》（第599H章），就從極高風險地區到港人士實施檢測及檢疫條件，以減低他們為香港帶來的衞生風險。食物及衞生局局長已在較早時候刊憲指明有關措施適用於15個指明地區（即孟加拉、比利時、埃塞俄比亞、法國、印度、印尼、哈薩克斯坦、尼泊爾、巴基斯坦、菲律賓、俄羅斯、南非、土耳其、英國及美國），並因應規例實施以來的實際情況調節相關條件。
鑑於全球2019冠狀病毒病的疫情發展和嚴峻程度，政府於十一月十九日公布會就第599H章下的指明刊憲，由十一月二十八日起將厄瓜多爾和德國加入指明地區，以更有效應對疫情。政府會繼續密切監察情況，包括全球及本地疫情的發展和出入境人數的變化，有需要時會毫不猶豫地採取更果斷和嚴厲的措施。
另外，醫院管理局（醫管局）於十一月十九日宣布將增設更多樣本收集包自動派發機，以配合衞生署衞生防護中心「加強化驗室監察計劃」，方便自覺有較高風險及輕微不適的市民進行2019冠狀病毒病檢測，及早識別感染個案，減低社區傳播的風險。
派發樣本收集包的普通科門診診所將進一步增加至47間。有關普通科門診診所的詳細地址、領取樣本收集包及遞交樣本的時間詳列於附件。
詳情請參閱有關新聞公報及附件：
政府就《預防及控制疾病（規管跨境交通工具及到港者）規例》下的指明刊憲
https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202011/19/P2020111900543.htm
醫管局增設樣本收集包自動派發機
https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202011/19/P2020111900497.htm
請定期留意我們的Facebook及專題網站（https://www.coronavirus.gov.hk/chi/index.html），以獲取更多及更新的資訊。
希望你可以將有關資訊與你的同事、合作者及／或業務伙伴分享，讓他們都能採取合適的預防措施。非常感謝你的支持。
衞生署
