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

Chief Executive Carrie Lam today announced that three public housing blocks and two transitional housing premises, which were converted into community isolation facilities (CIFs) earlier, will be returned to their original use.

At the daily press conference this morning, Mrs Lam explained that the decision was made after having considered the local COVID-19 epidemic situation and the supply of CIFs.

“In light of the latest downward trend and the decrease in the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases, we have come to the conclusion that we have an adequate supply of CIFs.

“Instead of preserving every CIF for anticipated use - because they are very limited resources that have other purposes, like hotel rooms, they should be for arrivals and housing units should be for people to improve their living conditions - the Government has been vigorously reviewing the situation and as and when possible, we try to make adjustments to enable some of these facilities to be returned to their original purpose.

“So today, together with Secretary for Transport & Housing Frank Chan, I am announcing that some 5,500 housing units in three blocks in two public housing estates as well as two pretty large transitional housing projects will be returned so that several thousands of families could improve their living conditions shortly.”

The three public housing blocks, namely Blocks 1 and 7 of Queen's Hill Estate in Fanling as well as Heng King House of Lai King Estate, will be handed back to the Housing Authority at the end of this month.

The intake for these buildings is expected to start in phases between late May and mid-June.

For the two transitional housing projects in Yuen Long, they will be returned to the respective operating organisations next week. Families which have been allocated a flat will be allowed to move in within the month of May.