The Food & Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) today announced it will continue to arrange voluntary free COVID-19 testing services for targeted groups to safeguard public health.

They include high-exposure groups such as frontline staff of catering businesses, staff of market stalls and licensed hawkers.

Restaurant operators, staff and personnel working in FEHD markets and hawker licensees can register for testing through the FEHD website from September 26 to October 15.

Stall tenants of other markets not operated by the FEHD, including those managed by the Housing Authority, the Link and other private entities, do not need to register and the testing agency will directly contact them.

Under the scheme, the testing agency, Prenetics, will be responsible for providing services covering specimen taking and testing.

It will deliver specimen bottles to restaurants and market and hawker stalls and then collect the samples on the following one or two days for testing.

Cases with preliminary positive results will be relayed to the Centre for Health Protection for follow-up.

The FEHD appealed to the groups concerned to actively participate in the testing scheme and maintain personal and environmental hygiene.

For details of the programme, call Prenetics’ hotline at 3008 8319.