Government announces release of three community isolation facilities sites
The Government announced today (May 31) that the community isolation facilities (CIFs) sites at Hung Shui Kiu, the Hong Kong Boundary Crossing Facilities Island of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) and Ma Sik Road in Fanling will be released for their original planned uses:
1. The site at Hung Shui Kiu will be developed into multi-storey buildings for modern industries (MSBs) in accordance with the development of sites for industries in the Northern Metropolis. The MSBs will provide floor space for relocation of some brownfield operators affected by development projects. The site is included in the 2024-25 Land Sale Programme as an industrial site. The Government will announce the specific disposal timeline for this site in due course;
2. The site at the Hong Kong Boundary Crossing Facilities Island of the HZMB will be released to the Airport Authority Hong Kong to serve as back-up sites to support the operation of Hong Kong International Airport and AsiaWorld-Expo; and
3. The site at Ma Sik Road in Fanling will be returned to the land owner for private housing development to align with the development schedule of the Fanling North New Development Area.
Drawing on the successful experience of transferring and reusing the CIFs in the southern end of the Loop early this year, the Government will transfer the CIFs at the aforementioned sites to other suitable locations for reconfiguration and reuse in an orderly manner in order to implement the principle of making good use of CIFs. They will mainly serve as site offices, rest rooms for site staff, material storage rooms and more in government works projects. The Development Bureau will arrange for the constructors to begin transferring the facilities soon, aiming to complete the process within the third quarter of this year.
Up till now, the Government has announced the use of a number of community isolation and treatment facilities, and implemented the arrangements. They include:
- The Hospital Authority has been providing medical diagnostic and investigation-related services at the Central Government-Aided Emergency Hospital in the Loop since last year, and will continue to make better use of the facility for healthcare-related purposes;
- The transfer of the CIF in the southern end of the Loop to government works projects for reuse was completed in March this year. The Civil Engineering and Development Department is carrying out site formation works on the released site, so that the construction of the five buildings in batch one under Phase 1 of the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park can commence as early as possible;
- The CIF in Tam Mei, Yuen Long, has been used as centralised quarters for imported labour for the construction sector since last year;
- The CIF in San Tin has been used for holding training courses and trade tests for the construction industry since last year; and
- The CIF in Tsing Yi has become a base for youth development and national education, which provides a venue and ancillary facilities to youth uniformed groups for holding training on flag raising, foot drill and other youth development-related activities since April this year.
It is the Government's goal to maintain the city's capacity to respond to changes in an epidemic situation, while taking into account Hong Kong's economic, livelihood and social needs. The Government will continue to make subsequent arrangements for other community isolation and treatment facilities, releasing the sites in phases or utilising the facilities for other purposes. Announcements will be made and the implementation of related work will be carried out in a timely and orderly manner.
Ends/Friday, May 31, 2024
Issued at HKT 18:13
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