Surprise checkpoints at Tung Chung and Sham Shui Po have 32 Covid test dodgers nabbed

Officials said they caught scores of people in Tung Chung and Sham Shui Po this morning who couldn’t prove they had taken Covid tests as ordered.

The government said that during a morning operation at two buildings in Tung Chung and Sham Shui Po respectively, police and health officials checked the test records of around 1060 residents and found 32 had violated a recent compulsory testing notice.

Fines of HK$5,000 and new testing orders were dished out to the alleged offenders, along with a warning that non-compliance can lead to a larger fine of HK$25,000 and six months in prison.

The operations at Tower 11, Carmel Cove, Caribbean Coast, 1 Kin Tung Road in Tung Chung and 37-39 Fuk Wing Street in Sham Shui Po started at around 7am and ended before noon.

"The Government will continue to enforce the law strictly. All persons subject to compulsory testing should comply with the compulsory testing notice," a statement said.

It added that the government would like to thank those who did take the tests as instructed.