Black Rainstorm halts vaccinations, courts, markets

The Observatory issued the Black Rainstorm Warning Signal at 8.20am on Monday, prompting vaccination centres to suspend issuance of coronavirus jabs, and courts and tribunals to postpone proceedings. The Hong Kong stock market was also closed for the morning session.

Officials said community vaccination centres under the Covid-19 vaccination programme will stay open but had suspended vaccination services.

They said the centres would resume vaccination services as soon as possible if the Black Rainstorm Warning Signal was cancelled before the centres’ normal closing time.

Separately, the Judiciary said all hearings of courts and tribunals would be adjourned. They would also be adjourned this afternoon if the Black Rainstorm Warning Signal was still in effect at 11 am.

It said court and tribunal registries and offices would also be closed, and would re-open as soon as practicable within two hours after the Black Rainstorm Warning was cancelled.

The Red Rainstorm Warning Signal earlier prompted officials to announce that morning schools and whole-day schools would be closed. They said schools should keep their premises open and implement contingency measures to look after arriving students, adding that parents did not need to pick up their children from schools immediately.

The Social Welfare Department had also advised the public not to take their children or family members to child care centres, centres providing after school care programmes, elderly services centres or day rehabilitation units including sheltered workshops, integrated vocational rehabilitation services centres, integrated vocational training centres and day activity centres.

However, it stressed that these centres would stay open during their normal operating hours for those whose families couldn’t make alternative arrangements.

The Transport Department said its public services, including the Licensing Offices at Admiralty, Cheung Sha Wan, Kwun Tong and Sha Tin, the Public Vehicles Unit, the Cross Boundary Unit, the Driving Test Appointment Office, the Driving Test Centres and Written Test Centre, would be suspended.

If the Black Rainstorm Warning Signal was still in force at 11.30am, all driving tests for Monday would be cancelled, it said.

The Hong Kong Wetland Park said it was closed, but would reopen two hours after the signal is lowered. However, if the signal was still in effect at 2 pm, the park would remain closed.
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Last updated: 2021-06-28 HKT 09:46