11 February 2021

To: Licensees/Persons-in-charge of food premises

Prevention and Control of Disease (Requirements and Directions) (Business and Premises) Regulation (Cap. 599F)
Choices of virus testing routes for staff of catering businesses

On the Government's announcement made on 10 February 2021 about the arrangements applicable to catering businesses under the Prevention and Control of Disease (Requirements and Directions) (Business and Premises) Regulation (Cap. 599F) (the Regulation), we write to provide responses to enquiries from operators of catering businesses about arranging their staff to undergo COVID-19 testing every 14 days.

Staff of catering businesses should keep the SMS on negative result for 31 days for checking by law enforcement officers. They may choose one of the following testing routes –

  1. To attend 19 Community Testing Centres (see the list at https://www.communitytest.gov.hk/en/), which will be free for staff of catering businesses in the initial 3-month period;
  2. To obtain a deep throat saliva specimen collection pack from any of the designated post offices, vending machines set up at 20 MTR stations or 47 designated general outpatient clinics (GOPCs) of the Hospital Authority and return it to designated specimen collection points (see the distribution points and time, and the specimen collection points and time at https://www.coronavirus.gov.hk/eng/early-testing.html), which will be free; or
  3. To self-arrange testing provided by private laboratories which are recognised by the Department of Health and can issue SMS notifications in respect of test results (see the list at https://www.coronavirus.gov.hk/pdf/List_of_recognised_laboratories_RTPCR.pdf). Please note that the Government does not accept any other test result such as rapid antibody test. 

After the Lunar New Year Holidays, this department may provide you with further details on how we could be of further help on the virus testing issue.