Continuously Confusing

The Hong Kong Government is accepting registrations for its scheme to boost the economy as we recover from the pandemic. The registration requires a declaration of the applicant's residential status. The first choice is:

I declare that I have not been absent from Hong Kong continuously for the 24 months immediately before 18 June 2021.

Either that means "I" was present continuously for the specified two years, or "I" was present at some point during those two years, two quite different meanings. It depends on whether "continuously" is applied to "not been absent", which could be rephrased "been present continuously", or "continuously" is applied to "absent" alone.

The second choice does clarify the meaning of the first choice, it starts:

I declare that I have been absent from Hong Kong continuously for the 24 months immediately before 18 June 2021 because...

So, it is the continuity of the absence that is significant. The date phrase, "24 months immediately before 18 June 2021" also adds to the complexity. The declarations could be rewritten:

I declare that I was in Hong Kong on at least one day from 19 June 2019 to 18 June 2021 inclusive.

I declare that I have been absent from Hong Kong for the entire period 19 June 2019 to 18 June 2021 because...