Secretary for Innovation & Technology Alfred Sit today toured shops and premises in Kowloon City to keep up to date with the implementation of the LeaveHomeSafe mobile app.

Mr Sit started his visit at To Kwa Wan Market to learn about the Food & Environmental Hygiene Department's work in guarding against COVID-19 with the aid of technology and promoting the LeaveHomeSafe mobile app.

Venue QR codes have been placed at market entrances and prominent positions, with posters being displayed with the QR codes to allow the public to better understand how to download and use the mobile app, and to keep a more precise record of their whereabouts.

Mr Sit discussed with trade association representatives, stall tenants and market patrons the implementation of the anti-epidemic measures and the department’s subsidy scheme for promotion of contactless payment in public markets.

The scheme provides a one-off subsidy to public market tenants to promote the use of contactless payment in stalls, to reduce virus transmission in markets.

Mr Sit then visited a karaoke establishment, a local cafe kitchen, a foot massage parlour, a bar, a noodle stall and a Chinese restaurant in the vicinity. He chatted with shop operators and members of the public and listened to their views on the mobile app for further refinements.

He said the bureau has been actively engaging various sectors and enlisting their support for the mobile app, adding the response is encouraging with over 10,000 public and private venues taking part in the scheme.

Mr Sit said the bureau will step up its efforts to invite more sectors, such as restaurant chains, retail outlets and property management businesses to participate and encourage the public to develop a habit of keeping a more precise record of their whereabouts to help fight the virus and get better prepared for guarding against the fourth wave of the pandemic.

Among the venues participating in the scheme, 6,000 are public, which include government office buildings, sports centres, swimming pools, libraries, markets, cooked food markets, community halls/centres, public housing estate building lobbies and shopping centres, hospitals, clinics, post offices and terminals.

Nearly 4,000 participating venues are privately owned, including banks, restaurants, coffee shops, karaoke establishments, bars and pubs, clubs, hotels, fitness centres, cinemas, malls, shops, and commercial and residential buildings.