The Department of Health today said while people suspected to be infected with COVID-19 will be admitted to hospitals for isolation and treatment, the Centre for Health Protection requires asymptomatic close contacts of confirmed cases to be put under mandatory quarantine.

The department made the statement in response to media enquiries on rumours circulating on the Internet that the family member of a confirmed case does not need to undergo mandatory quarantine at a quarantine centre.

It stressed that under the Prevention & Control of Disease Ordinance (Cap 599), the Government is empowered to issue quarantine orders to put close contacts of confirmed cases under mandatory quarantine at quarantine centres.

The department added people who fail to comply could be fined and imprisoned.

It appealed to the public to fight the disease together with a view to achieving the highest effectiveness of the mandatory quarantine measures.

The Government has put in place various anti-epidemic measures to suppress the latest wave of the epidemic.

The public should strictly comply with the measures including avoiding crowds, and maintaining social distancing and personal hygiene, the department added.