The Fire Services Department today announced that it has launched a mechanism for citizens to apply for admission to COVID-19 community isolation facilities via email, WhatsApp and WeChat (fsd_cif).

People with mild symptoms and who possess self-care ability may apply if they test positive for COVID-19 by nucleic acid test, deep throat saliva test or rapid antigen test. Admission would be based on the occupancy of the isolation facilities, the applicant’s living environment and medical condition.

Meeting the media at the Tsing Yi community isolation facility this afternoon, Secretary for Security Tang Ping-keung said that with the new mechanism in place, the Government expects to receive the first batch of patients tomorrow morning.

Applicants will have to provide their Chinese and English names, age, gender, Hong Kong Identity Card number, telephone number, residential address, testing method and the date of their positive test result. Upon receipt of the messages, the department will issue further instructions to the users.

On the issue of the Tsing Yi facility’s cleanliness, Mr Tang added that the Government has taken note of such complaints and cleaning work will be stepped up to ensure that the venue is hygienically fit for patient use.