The Social Welfare Department today announced that a restricted visiting arrangement for residential care homes for the elderly and people with disabilities will be implemented from May 10.

Under the new arrangement, visitors, except official visitors, should make appointments with the institutions before their visits.  

Apart from presenting their vaccination records, visitors who have received two doses of COVID-19 vaccination for 14 days must either present a negative COVID-19 test result obtained within 72 hours before the scheduled visit or provide a negative COVID-19 rapid antigen test result within 24 hours before the visit.

Regarding the COVID-19 rapid antigen tests, visitors have to purchase one of the rapid antigen test products designated by the Government and conduct the test at home.

They need to bring a photo of themselves with the negative result and the date and time of the test shown in it, together with the product insert and packing of the rapid antigen test kit used, to give to staff members of the institutions.

Visitors who have not been vaccinated or only received their first dose or completed the two-dose vaccination less than 14 days before the visit are required to present a negative virus test result obtained within 72 hours before the visit.

People who have not been vaccinated, have not completed a two-dose vaccination or do not possess a negative COVID-19 test result obtained within 72 hours before the visit but need to pay urgent visits to institutions for compassionate reasons must provide a negative virus test result within two days after the visit.

Institutions must take prudent and effective measures to reduce infection risks, including confining the number of visitors per resident to not more than one each time to avoid crowds gathering, ensuring visitors maintain an appropriate social distance from each other, arranging visits to be conducted at a designated place with proper segregation and frequent sanitisation, conducting checks to ensure visitors have met the relevant requirements and keeping visitor records.      

Before entering an institution, visitors should have their body temperature checked, perform hand hygiene and wear surgical masks. Residents should also wear surgical masks and eye protection as far as practicable.

Institutions should enhance their communication with residents and their relatives on the visiting arrangement and relevant measures, and keep a close watch on the Government's latest public health information.