(To watch the full press conference with sign language interpretation, click here.)

The Secretary for Food & Health is empowered to issue a restriction-testing declaration to limit the movement of people into and out of certain premises under specified circumstances.

Secretary for Food & Health Prof Sophia Chan made the statement at a press conference on the COVID-19 epidemic's latest situation and social distancing measures this afternoon.

She said the Executive Council today approved a legal framework which gives the Government the power to impose requirements on an individual who needs to undergo compulsory virus testing.

“The legal framework is made under section 8 of the Prevention & Control of Disease Ordinance for the purpose of preventing and combatting, or alleviating the effects of the current public health emergency and also protecting public health in Hong Kong, so that is really the main purpose.

“It is to allow reasonable requirements to be imposed on the person concerned until the relevant test result - we are talking about compulsory testing - is available.

“And also, obviously the Secretary for Food & Health is empowered, subject to meeting specified conditions that I have already said, for example, within certain premises that there is a high risk that a number of people are confirmed or suspected to be confirmed cases, to issue a restriction-testing declaration to restrict the movement of persons into and out of the premises.”

Prof Chan added that the Government will provide food and basic necessities to the concerned people when necessary.