The Social Welfare Department today announced the arrangements for welfare services after the Lunar New Year holidays until February 17.

The arrangements were set following the response level under the Preparedness & Response Plan for Novel Infectious Disease of Public Health Significance being raised to Emergency Response Level.

All aided child care centres, day care centres for the elderly, sheltered workshops, integrated vocational rehabilitation services centres and day activity centres will suspend their service delivery. 

These centres will, however, remain open to serve those in need. People in need of the services may contact the service units in advance.

Other services subsidised by the department, such as integrated family service centres, integrated children and youth services centres, district elderly community centres, neighbourhood elderly centres, district support centres for persons with disabilities and integrated community centres for mental wellness, will only provide limited services, except for the counselling service necessitated through client facing encounters.

The department will ask the service units to make clear to service users the scope of their limited services.

Meanwhile, all subsidised service units will continue to take note of the guidelines issued by the Centre for Health Protection in respect of novel coronavirus infection developments. 

They will step up measures to prevent communicable diseases, including keeping the premises clean, requesting service users and staff to wash their hands with alcohol hand rub and wear surgical face masks, as well as enhancing body temperature screening measures.