The Home Affairs Department (HAD) said it has taken over from the Social Welfare Department to fully launch the Home Support Delivery Services.

The home support service assists people pending admission to hospitals or community isolation facilities who need to stay at home, but cannot make their own arrangements for daily necessities and food.

To improve the service, the 24-hour StayHomeSafe hotline 1833 019 has already increased capacity from 100 lines to 280 lines. The number of hotline centres has also been increased from two to three.

There are 540 staff members, mainly from the HAD and the Leisure & Cultural Services Department, deployed to operate the hotlines on a daily basis in three shifts to maintain a 24-hour operation. The centres handle more than 10,000 cases daily.

The home support service now covers 18 districts.

The HAD will further expand and strengthen the hotline service, including setting up a fourth centre and boosting the manning of hotlines up to a maximum of 550 lines.

People under home quarantine are reminded to make their own arrangements for basic daily necessities and food by their relatives and friends or order online or through telephone as far as possible, so that the home support service can better help with the needy.