In light of the special work arrangement for government employees from July 20 to 26 to combat COVID-19, various departments today announced the latest arrangements for public services.

The Registration & Electoral Office said that the offices of returning officers for geographical and functional constituencies will open as usual. The nomination period for the 2020 Legislative Council General Election runs from July 18 to 31.

It said nomination forms are accepted from 9am to 5pm Mondays to Fridays and from 9am to noon on Saturdays, and stressed that prevention and crowd management measures will be implemented at the offices of the returning officers.

Nomination forms can be downloaded here.

The Working Family & Student Financial Assistance Agency said all service counters will be temporarily closed during the period and appointments for counter services and interviews scheduled will be cancelled.

Applicants for student finance schemes, the Working Family Allowance Scheme and the Individual Work Incentive Transport Subsidy Scheme may submit their applications by post, online or through drop-in boxes.

Meanwhile, the Transport Department said its licensing offices in Admiralty, Cheung Sha Wan, Kwun Tong and Sha Tin will suspend walk-in counter services, but all staff of the offices will continue to work at full strength to process applications submitted online, by drop-in boxes or by post.

The department appealed to people to use the online appointment services as far as possible.

Its Public Vehicles Unit at Admiralty, Vehicles Records Office, Driving Licence Records Office and Driving Offence Points Office at Admiralty, along with its Cross Boundary Unit at Sheung Wan will suspend walk-in counter services.

Driving test services will continue as normal. All candidates must wear surgical masks inside the test centres and throughout the test. They must also clean their hands with alcohol sanitisers and undergo body temperature screening.

The department’s Vehicle Examination Centres will provide vehicle examination services for vehicles with an appointment from Monday to Friday.

Additionally, the Immigration Department said the provision of emergency and essential services involving travel documents, identity cards, visa and extension of stay, marriage registration and deaths registration, will be provided to the public during the period.

The department added that the operating hours of the Shenzhen Bay Control Point’s passenger clearance services have been adjusted to 10am to 8pm daily.

Operating hours of the Passenger Clearance Building of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Control Point have been adjusted to 10am to 8pm daily and the operating hours of the clearance for private cars have been adjusted to 6am to 10pm.

The Education Bureau said all its Regional Education Offices and Joint Office for Kindergartens & Child Care Centres will provide only emergency and essential public services from July 20.

Services will be provided as scheduled for appointments already made for hearing services at Kowloon Tong Education Services Centre.

The bureau’s School Places Allocation Section will continue to provide limited hotline services.

Home Affairs Enquiry Centres in 18 districts and the Home Affairs Department’s Estate Beneficiaries Support Unit will be temporarily closed.

The unit’s hotline 2835 1535 will operate from 9am to 5pm from Monday to Friday.

The Office of the Licensing Authority will be temporarily closed and all community halls and centres, except when being used as temporary night heat shelters, remain closed.

The department’s hotlines for people under home quarantine will continue to operate daily.

The Fire Services Department's fire protection units will provide emergency and essential services.

The department will make special arrangements for licence and acceptance applications and its Shroff Office of the Licensing & Certification Command Headquarters will also provide limited services.

In order to achieve more rigorous social distancing to stop COVID-19 from further spreading, the Inland Revenue Department said it will suspend all its services except for the Central Enquiry Counter, Central Telephone Enquiry, Business Registration Office and Stamp Office.

It encouraged the public to use its electronic services to handle their tax affairs as much as possible.

The department further announced that deadlines for tax payments, lodgements of objections and holdover applications and submission of tax returns and information that fall between July 20 and July 26 will be extended to July 27.

Hongkong Post said all its post offices, including mobile post offices, will be suspended from service, but mail delivery will be provided twice a week.

Speedpost delivery and posting box collection will be provided on alternate days.

The Social Welfare Department said its service units providing direct public services for members of the public will only maintain emergency and essential services.

While departmental hotline service will be in operation, other services such as Integrated Family Service Centres and Social Security Field Units will only be provided on a limited scale.

Service users are advised to call the hotline 2343 2255 for details of the service provision.

Additionally, the Efficiency Office said 1823 is now focusing on handling calls related to the epidemic and environmental hygiene. Limited service will be provided to handle other calls.

From July 20, 1823 will not handle enquiries and complaints from written channels such as email, mobile app, web form and SMS until further notice.