Staff members of residential care homes for the elderly, residential care homes for the disabled and nursing homes are required to undergo a COVID-19 nucleic acid test by December 14.

The Secretary for Food & Health issued the compulsory testing notice on November 30.

These people include those who are employed by and will be on duty at residential care homes for the elderly, residential care homes for the disabled, nursing homes and day service units attached to the premises of residential care homes or will provide services to residents or users through hire-of-service contracts with residential care homes and the aforementioned units between December 15 and 21.

They must not take the sample themselves and should receive free specimen collection services using combined nasal and throat swabs in any of the Community Testing Centres or self-arrange testing in private laboratories recognised by the Department of Health at their own expense.

People who fail to comply with the testing notice may be fined a fixed penalty of $2,000. They would also be issued with a compulsory testing order to undergo testing within a specified timeframe. Those who fail to comply with the order would be liable to a $25,000 fine and six months' imprisonment.

The Social Welfare Department urged institution operators to remind their staff to make advance bookings for testing services through the Community Testing Centres’ booking system as early as possible.

Staff members who choose to undergo self-arranged tests at private laboratories should keep their test result reports.

Institution operators are required to keep records of the information concerning their staff receiving tests and the results within the timeframe specified by the Government.

They also have to co-operate with the department's Checking Officers (Compulsory Testing) to implement the regulations within the residential care homes.