The Agriculture, Fisheries & Conservation Department will launch its New Territories South centre next Monday as another quarantine facility for pets related to COVID-19 cases.

The department said the move is in response to a surge in the number of confirmed human cases and close contacts that required pet owners to send over their pets for quarantine and veterinary monitoring.

All animals originally kept in the New Territories South centre will be transferred to other animal management centres for follow up. The centre will not open to public until further notice.

The animal keeping facility at the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Hong Kong Port will only be used for quarantine and veterinary monitoring for animals tested COVID-19 positive.

The department said currently there is no evidence that pets play a role in the spread of human infection with COVID-19. Pet owners should always maintain good hygiene practices and under no circumstances should they abandon their pets.