Chief Executive Carrie Lam today expressed her gratitude to the central government for its ceaseless support for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region to fight the epidemic.

Addressing the commencement ceremony of the construction of community isolation and treatment facilities at Penny’s Bay this afternoon, Mrs Lam said that the central government, in response to the request of the Hong Kong SAR Government, had commissioned a Mainland construction team to build some 10,000 community isolation and treatment units at Penny's Bay and Kai Tak within a very short period of time.

Such an act would significantly enhance the Hong Kong SAR's anti-epidemic capacity, she said.

Mrs Lam said the Hong Kong SAR Government would also spare no effort in increasing community isolation and treatment facilities by all means, including the requisition of newly completed public housing estates, rental of commercial hotels and conversion of indoor sport centres.

Some 20,000 extra units were estimated to be made available for people who tested positive for COVID-19 but had no or mild symptoms for isolation.

Three Community Isolation Facility Hotels, namely Dorsett Tsuen Wan, Hong Kong, iclub Ma Tau Wai Hotel and iclub Fortress Hill Hotel had started taking in confirmed patients.

In addition, the Hong Kong SAR Government has decided to turn the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal into a community isolation and treatment facility providing about 1,000 beds.

Upon the on-site inspection by the relevant departments yesterday, work will commence at full speed.

Following the arrival of four Mainland epidemiological experts, a number of testing technicians and two mobile testing vehicles two days ago, the central government today sent four experts in critical care medicine and 110 nucleic acid testing personnel to Hong Kong to participate in the anti-epidemic work.

The four experts in critical care medicine will share with Hong Kong health officials and the Hospital Authority experts their experience in treating COVID-19 patients tomorrow to gain a good understanding of how patients, especially those with severe symptoms, are diagnosed, treated and taken care of in Hong Kong.

The Mainland specimen collection team will participate in a liaison meeting on work techniques, after which they will immediately commence specimen collection and testing work.

Mrs Lam was pleased to learn that businesses, be they local enterprises or Mainland enterprises stationing in Hong Kong, have also rendered their full support to the anti-epidemic work in response to appeals.

This support includes allocating hotels for turning into isolation facilities, setting up vaccination stations at some malls or offices, providing land or venues for the construction of isolation and treatment facilities, ensuring the supply of anti-epidemic provisions and daily necessities to Hong Kong, and donating rapid test kits and anti-epidemic supplies to the grassroots.

Mrs Lam thanked the enterprises, adding that she hoped that property developers and landlords can also offer rent concession to their commercial tenants, especially small and medium-sized enterprises, to foster solidarity.

Coupled with the fifth and sixth rounds of the Anti-epidemic Fund rolled out by the Hong Kong SAR Government, the support will tide the affected enterprises over these difficult times, she said.

The Chief Executive said she is sincerely grateful to the central government for its assistance which is stronger and speedier than ever.

She emphasised that she will lead the Hong Kong SAR Government to assume the main responsibility to fight the epidemic for the people of Hong Kong to resume their normal lives as soon as possible.