Government announces arrangements of community isolation facility site at southern end of Loop

     The Government announced today (January 5) that to facilitate the development of the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone, about five hectares of land will be released from the southern end of the Hong Kong Park in the Loop for the construction of five buildings in batch one under Phase 1 of the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park, advancing the development of the Hong Kong Park. Batch one of Phase 1 comprises eight buildings. The first three buildings, under construction by the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park Limited, are scheduled for completion in phases from the end of 2024.
      
     To implement the principle of making good use of community isolation facilities (CIFs), the Government will transfer the CIFs at the aforementioned site to other suitable locations for reconfiguration and reuse in an orderly manner. The CIFs will be mainly transferred to various construction sites of government works projects to serve as site offices and related facilities, such as rest rooms for site staff and material storage rooms. The Development Bureau will arrange for the constructors to begin transferring the facilities soon, aiming to complete the process within the first quarter. Thereafter, the Civil Engineering and Development Department will commence the site formation works on the five-hectare site so as to begin the construction of the remaining five buildings in batch one as early as possible.
      
     In respect of the Central Government-Aided Emergency Hospital in the Loop, the Hospital Authority (HA) has been providing ambulatory diagnostic radiology services there since April 2023, and this has considerably shortened patient waiting times and has relieved the pressure on radiology services in public hospitals. Since October 2023, the services have been expanded to include microbiological examinations, diagnostic endoscopies, sleep studies, etc, with a view to enhancing the capacity of public healthcare services. The measures have been well received by the public. The HA will continue to make better use of the specialised medical equipment and facilities in the hospital, and explore uses for healthcare-related purposes in order to meet local healthcare needs.
      
     The Government has earlier announced the arrangements for using the CIFs in Tam Mei, Yuen Long; Tsing Yi and San Tin. After necessary modifications, the CIF in Tam Mei, Yuen Long, is being used as centralised quarters for imported labour for the construction sector from late October 2023. The San Tin CIF is being used to hold training courses and trade tests for the construction industry from late November 2023. The Tsing Yi CIF will provide a venue and ancillary facilities to youth uniformed groups for holding trainings on flag raising, foot drills and other youth development-related activities in the near future.
      
     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. It is the Government's goal to maintain the city's capacity to respond to changes in the epidemic situation, while taking into account Hong Kong’s economic, livelihood and social needs.
 
Ends/Friday, January 5, 2024
Issued at HKT 19:37
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