The Government today made restriction-testing declarations to require people within the specified restricted areas in Yuen Long and Ma On Shan to stay in their premises and undergo compulsory testing for COVID-19.

The restricted areas include Fu Loy Garden, 7 Ma Wang Road in Yuen Long and Heng Kong House, Heng On Estate in Ma On Shan.

After risk assessment, the Government believes it is necessary to issue restriction-testing declarations for the restricted areas to achieve the goal of zero cases in these districts with concerted efforts.

The declarations for Yuen Long took effect at 7pm, while Ma On Shan’s took effect at 7.35pm.

The Government will set up temporary specimen collection stations at the restricted areas and request people subject to compulsory testing there to get tested before 2am.

They will be arranged to undergo a nucleic acid test at specimen collection stations where staff will collect samples through combined nasal and throat swabs.

The Government will arrange door-to-door specimen collection for people with impaired mobility and seniors.

It aims to finish these exercises by around 7am tomorrow.

Those who have undergone testing from February 3 to 5 in the Yuen Long restricted area and can provide the SMS notification or related certification containing the test results are not required to be tested again. But they must stay in their premises until all people in the area have been tested and the results are mostly ascertained. 

The same applied to those who were tested from February 2 to 5 in the Ma On Shan restricted areas.

According to the compulsory testing notice issued today, those who had been at these buildings for more than two hours from January 23 to February 5, even if they were not present in the restricted areas when the declaration took effect, must undergo compulsory testing by February 7.

The Government has prepared simple food and basic cleaning tools for the residents restricted by the declaration. The Home Affairs Department has set up a hotline 2835 1473 for these residents to make enquiries and seek assistance. A hotline 3755 6816 has also been set up for ethnic minorities.

The Social Welfare Department will also assist those affected.