Chief Executive Carrie Lam today visited the Contact Tracing Office at Kai Tak Community Hall and inspected the anti-epidemic measures at the M+ Museum construction site in the West Kowloon Cultural District.

Accompanied by Secretary for Food & Health Prof Sophia Chan, Mrs Lam visited the Contact Tracing Office of the Centre for Health Protection's (CHP) Communicable Disease Branch to learn more about its work in tracing the contacts of COVID-19 confirmed cases since its establishment a month ago.

Currently, some 200 members from different disciplinary services are participating in contact tracing work at the office, including Police, Customs, the Immigration Department and the Fire Services Department.

Having received training from the CHP, they assist in locating and liaising with the contacts of confirmed cases and arrange for their admission to quarantine centres as needed.

Mrs Lam was pleased to learn that the office has successfully helped trace more than 7,500 contacts of confirmed cases, which translates to the identification of five contacts for each confirmed case.

Since the office was set up, more than 250 contacts per day have been traced on average, which is far higher than the 100 contacts traced daily before its establishment.

The Chief Executive and Prof Chan then visited the construction site of the M+ Museum in the West Kowloon Cultural District. Also joined by Secretary for Development Michael Wong, they learnt more about the anti-epidemic measures implemented by the contractor at the construction site.

The measures include body temperature checks and the presentation of negative virus test results at the entrance, as well as the adoption of social distancing and cleaning and disinfection measures at the canteen and workers’ rest area.

The construction site also takes part in the testing programme rolled out by the Construction Industry Council (CIC) and the Hong Kong Construction Association (HKCA), in which a private testing agency has been arranged to provide a specimen collection service for workers at construction sites.

To date, over 33,000 workers from 150 construction sites have undergone the free testing service.

Mrs Lam was pleased to note that to further step up anti-epidemic measures at construction sites, the CIC and the HKCA announced that starting from February 22, all personnel will be required to present a negative result of tests conducted within the past 14 days before they are allowed to enter the construction sites for work, with a view to further reducing the risk of transmission at such sites.

The Chief Executive said anti-epidemic work requires community-wide participation and that the public's support and co-operation is indispensable.

Mrs Lam also noted that the construction industry and many other sectors rolled out different measures recently in the hope of continuing works as scheduled and resuming business at various premises.

She hopes that the epidemic can continue to subside so that people's daily lives can return to normal gradually after the Lunar New Year holidays.

During the visit, Mrs Lam was also briefed on the latest progress of the M+ Museum's works and the adjacent sites.