Tuen Mun Harbour Restaurant, Central Shuffle Outbreak Involved in Poor Ventilation Working Group Inspection Calls for Diligent Inspections

Several restaurants and bars in Hong Kong were involved in cluster outbreaks earlier. The working group on ventilation capacity or air purification equipment for dining premises recently visited a restaurant and bar together with representatives from the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department and the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department. Ventilation system for repair work.

According to the video, it is believed that they are the Tuen Mun Harbour Restaurant and the Central Bar Shuffle.

A review of the information showed that the Tuen Mun Harbour Restaurant had changed its ventilation system without permission, and the FEHD had prosecuted it.

The chairman of the working group, Yuan Bailiang, reminded that the ventilation measures, regular inspections and regular maintenance should be implemented consistently and accurately, and the design of the ventilation system and its operating environment should not be changed at will. The bar should also manage the flow of people well and not perform performances. Or dance and other activities, customers must first do a quick test and wear a mask after eating and drinking.

▼On June 3, the Shuffle outbreak at Lan Kwai Fong bar in Central▼

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The then Secretary for Food and Health issued a direction to catering businesses in March last year under the Prevention and Control of Disease (Requirements and Directions) (Business and Premises) Regulation (Cap. 599F) to prescribe the ventilation of catering premises offering dine-in meals regulations to be complied with with regard to air volume or air purification equipment.

Bar Shuffle Sofa placed multiple air purifiers

During the inspection, the person in charge of the catering premises informed the working group that in addition to the cleaning and disinfection completed at the earlier stage, its ventilation contractor has also carried out a series of repair work on the ventilation system of the premises in order to improve its ventilation and make the air volume more evenly distributed , in order to reduce the risk of virus transmission; it will also strictly observe social distancing measures at the recommendation of the working group to avoid the recurrence of cluster infection cases.

According to the video, the working group, together with representatives from the FEHD and the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department, visited the Tuen Mun Harbour Restaurant and the Central Bar Shuffle respectively. There is a Shuffle on the dance floor, and several air purifiers are placed above the sofa.

As seen in the video, the bar has multiple air purifiers placed above the sofas.

(Screenshot of the video by the Information Services Department)

Panel: Do not arbitrarily change ventilation system design

According to the information, the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department said at the end of last month that the ventilation system of the restaurant in Tuen Mun Harbour was not up to standard.

It can be seen in the video that the working team and government personnel are conducting ventilation and ventilation measurement in the restaurant.

The working team also took the opportunity of the inspection to raise the importance of strengthening the fresh air supply and ventilation system to the person in charge of the premises in response to the epidemic, and the importance of persistently and accurately implementing ventilation measures, regular inspections and regular maintenance, and not arbitrarily changing ventilation The design of the system and its operating environment.

Although ventilation measures cannot 100% eliminate the chance of virus transmission, a good ventilation system is still one of the measures that can help reduce the risk of virus transmission.

The chair of the working group, Professor Yuen Pak Leung (third from right), and Deputy Director of FEHD, Ms Wong Suk-han (second from right), inspect the ventilation system of Shuffle in Central.

(Photo of the Information Services Department)

Remind the bar not to perform and dance

Professor Yuan Bailiang, chairman of the working group, pointed out that the number of daily new cases in Hong Kong has gradually increased from 3,000 recently. The person in charge of catering premises, employees and customers must not take it lightly, so as not to have a large-scale infection like other places, which may have a chance to affect the medical system. bring stress.

The person-in-charge of each catering business premises should carefully review the ventilation system of the premises to ensure that it is operating effectively, that there is sufficient fresh air supply and that it can evenly cover all positions in the seating room.

Persons in charge of catering premises should seek assistance from professionals (including registered specialist contractors (Ventilation System Works Category) (Ventilation Contractors)) if necessary.

He even mentioned that the bar must do a good job of crowd management, not to perform activities such as performances or dancing, and customers must first take a quick test and wear a mask after eating and drinking.

He said that after about a year of practice on the ventilation rate requirement in the instructions of Chapter 599F, it has moved to another stage at the end of February this year, that is, if the FEHD has not been completed on or before February 24 this year The designated webpage registers the information that the air exchange rate of the premises has reached at least six times per hour or that air purification equipment meeting the specified specifications has been installed. The relevant catering premises must be closed until the relevant registration is completed and the FEHD confirms that the registration is valid.

The Working Group on Ventilation Rate or Air Purification Equipment for Catering Premises recently visited the Tuen Mun Harbour Restaurant together with representatives from the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department and the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department.

(Screenshot of the video by the Information Services Department)

Ensure proper opening and operation of ventilation systems and air purification

Over the past year and a half, the FEHD and the working group have been giving advice and reminders to the persons in charge of catering establishments on many occasions, as well as providing technical guidelines.

They shall ensure that their ventilation systems and air purification equipment related to fresh air are continuously and properly opened, operated, repaired and maintained while their premises are open for business.

In addition to the criminal responsibility, the relevant premises must also take corresponding measures to reduce the risk of transmission, that is, from the day after the law enforcement officers discovered the violation, dine-in will be suspended from 6:00 p.m. to 4:59 a.m. the next day. Limit the maximum number of people per table to no more than two for a period of 14 days.

Government departments and teams will continue to pay attention to the development of the epidemic, the requirements for indoor ventilation in various places during the epidemic, the opinions of relevant infectious disease experts, etc., and make considerations and/or make corresponding suggestions.

The air exchange rate of the Tuen Mun Harbour Restaurant is lower than the standard, according to experts, or it may be related to the change of the ventilation system. The epidemic outbreak of the Tuen Mun Harbour Restaurant is not closed. A total of 42 people have been recruited and suspected of spreading to Mong Kok Jade Garden Harbour Restaurant. The Ventilation System was changed. Au Jiarong said that it must be closed. A total of 14 people have been prosecuted for another bar outbreak in Lan Kwai Fong, Shuffle, and one of them has visited Zentral.

6.3｜41 strong inspections including the outbreak at Lan Kwai Fong Bar Shuffle【List attached】