Dear Staff and Students,
We would like to share the following message from Department of Health about Updated information on Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and vaccines.
Health, Safety and Environment Office
Dear Sir/Madam,
Updated information on Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)and vaccines
Foreign domestic helpers (FDHs) to receive compulsory testing and vaccination
Testing has been an integral part of the strategy in preventing and fighting the virus. The Government has been implementing the Targeted Group Testing Scheme for high-risk and high-exposure groups and essential staff of critical infrastructure and services, etc since mid-2020. Around 3.4 million tests have been conducted so far. Among them, all FDHs were offered a one-off free test on a voluntary basis at CTCs from mid-December 2020 to end February this year. Over 34 000 FDHs, equivalent to less than 10 per cent of the total number of FDHs in Hong Kong, had received voluntary testing at CTCs during the period. Under the new direction for fighting the pandemic, high-risk or high-exposure groups such as staff members of residential care homes for the elderly, residential care homes for persons with disabilities and nursing homes, as well as most of the frontline staff of catering businesses, are required to undergo regular testing if they have not completed a COVID-19 vaccination course.
The Government exercised on April 30 the power under the Prevention and Control of Disease (Compulsory Testing for Certain Persons) Regulation (Cap. 599J) and gazetted a compulsory testing notice and specifications, which require any person who had been present at 26 specified premises during the specified period and foreign domestic helpers (persons subject to compulsory testing) to undergo a COVID-19 nucleic acid test.
In accordance with the established practice, the relevant decision was made solely on public health grounds after detailed risk assessment. The factors that have been taken into account include that two recent cases involving N501Y mutant strain were FDHs, the transmissibility of mutant strains is higher, the sources of infection of the cases were not known, and that the confirmed case had gatherings and contacts with other FDHs during the incubation and infection periods, etc.
Any foreign domestic helper who had not completed a COVID-19 vaccination has to undergo testing by May 9, 2021. If persons subject to compulsory testing have previously undergone testing on April 30, 2021, they would be taken to have complied with the requirements set out in the compulsory testing notice. For both the Sinovac vaccine (CoronaVac vaccine) and Fosun Pharma/BioNTech vaccine (Comirnaty vaccine), completion of the vaccination course in general means having received two doses of COVID-19 vaccine 14 days ago, i.e. having received the second dose of COVID-19 vaccine on or before April 25, 2021. For persons previously infected with COVID-19, they may be deemed to have completed the COVID-19 vaccination course after receiving one dose of Comirnaty vaccine or one dose of CoronaVac vaccine 14 days ago, i.e. having received one dose of COVID-19 vaccine on or before April 25, 2021.
In view of the threat posed by the mutant strains, it is imperative for us to get vaccinated. The Government appeals to all FDHs to receive vaccination as soon as possible in order to protect their own health and that of their employers' family and others, and to avoid being subject to any regular testing in the future. Employers should encourage and assist FDHs to receive vaccination, such as allowing sufficient rest for FDHs after receiving vaccination.
For details, please refer to:
Government to gazette compulsory testing notice and specifications under Cap. 599J
https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202105/01/P2021050100026.htm
FHB thanks public for co-operation in compulsory testing
https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202105/02/P2021050200877.htm
LWB response to the requirement for foreign domestic helpers to receive compulsory testing and vaccination arrangement
https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202105/01/P2021050100859.htm
Compulsory Testing for Certain Persons
https://www.coronavirus.gov.hk/eng/compulsory-testing.html
More information on COVID-19 vaccines
www.covidvaccine.gov.hk
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冠狀病毒病及疫苗的最新資訊
外籍家庭傭工（外傭）接受2019冠狀病毒病強制檢測及接種疫苗
病毒檢測一直是防疫抗疫策略中的重要一環。政府自去年中持續推行針對較高風險、高接觸群組、重要基建服務人員等推出的特定群組檢測計劃，已進行超過340萬次檢測。當中，由去年十二月中至今年二月底，政府亦曾於社區檢測中心為全港外籍家庭傭工（外傭）提供一次免費檢測，期間共有超過34 000名外傭於社區檢測中心接受自願檢測，少於全港外傭的一成。在抗疫新路向下，安老院、殘疾人士院舍及護養院員工、大部分餐飲業務前線員工等的高風險、高接觸群組，如未完成接種疫苗，均須接受定期強制檢測。
政府於四月三十日引用《預防及控制疾病（對若干人士強制檢測）規例》（《規例》）（第599J章），就《規例》下的強制檢測公告及指明刊憲，要求於指定期間曾身處26個指明地方的人士以及外籍家庭傭工，接受2019冠狀病毒病核酸檢測。
一如既往，有關決定完全基於公共衞生考慮，並經過詳細風險評估，當中的考慮因素包括於近期有兩宗涉及N501Y變種病毒株的確診個案均為外傭，變種病毒株的傳染性較高，個案感染源頭未明，而確診個案在病毒潛伏期及傳播期間曾經和其他外傭聚會或接觸等。
任何未完成2019冠狀病毒病疫苗接種的外籍家庭傭工，須於二○二一年五月九日或之前接受檢測。受檢人士若在二○二一年四月三十日已進行檢測，會獲視為已遵從強制檢測公告的規定。就科興疫苗(克爾來福疫苗)及復星醫藥╱德國藥廠疫苗(復必泰疫苗)，完成新冠疫苗接種一般而言是指在 14 天前已經合共接種了兩劑新冠疫苗 (即在二○二一年四月二十五日或之前已經接種了第 2 劑新冠疫苗)。就曾感染2019 冠狀病毒病的人士，在 14 天前接種一劑復必泰新冠疫苗或一劑克爾來福新冠疫苗後可獲視為已完成新冠疫苗接種(即在二○二一年四月二十五日或之前已經接種了一劑新冠疫苗)。
面對變種病毒株的威脅，接種疫苗已經是刻不容緩。政府呼籲所有外傭盡快接種疫苗，以保障自身、僱主家庭及他人的健康。僱主應鼓勵及協助外傭接種疫苗，例如讓外傭在接種疫苗後有充分休息。
詳情可參閱：
政府就第599J章下強制檢測公告及指明刊憲
https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202105/01/P2021050100025.htm
食衞局感謝市民配合強制檢測要求
https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202105/02/P2021050200824.htm
勞工及福利局就外籍家庭傭工接受強制檢測及接種疫苗安排的回應
https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202105/01/P2021050100792.htm
對若干人士強制檢測
https://www.coronavirus.gov.hk/chi/compulsory-testing.html
更多新冠疫苗資訊
www.covidvaccine.gov.hk
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
