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Attention TV/radio announcers: Please broadcast the following as soon as possible:      The Hong Kong Observatory has issued the Very Hot Weather Warning.      To prevent heat stroke, avoid pro… read more

     The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (Toronto) (Toronto ETO) hosted the opening ceremony of Hong Kong Week and the “Connect & Excel – Past, Present & Future” photo exhibition at the Dr Hin-Shiu Hung Art Gallery of the Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater Toronto yesterday (June 18, Toronto time).

     In delivering a welcome speech at the opening ceremony, the Director of the Toronto ETO, Ms Emily Mo, said the Hong Kong Week event under the theme “Connect and Excel” aims to promote Hong Kong’s strengths, advantages and potential with an emphasis on the core values and attributes of Hong Kong, Asia’s world city.
 
     Given Hong Kong’s high degree of connectivity, globally and with Mainland China and the rest of Asia, the city helps propel people and businesses to excellence in their chosen fields under a “Connect and Excel” theme. “Hong Kong’s sound fundamentals not only relate to physical connectivity but also to financial, legal, scientific research and creative links as well as people-to-people connectivity,” Ms Mo said.
 
     Ms Mo also introduced the series of activities to be held in Toronto and Vancouver in the inaugural Hong Kong Week event organised by the Toronto ETO, which include the “Think Asia, Think Hong Kong 2.0” business conference to discuss how Hong Kong connects businesses between Canada and Asia, an academic seminar and a concert on how music connects Hong Kong and Canada, a Hong Kong-themed drama, dragon boat festival activities and photo exhibitions.
 
     Entitled “Connect & Excel – Past, Present & Future”, the photo exhibitions are jointly presented by the Toronto ETO and the Chinese Canadian Photographic Society of Toronto. More than 80 photos are being displayed to showcase Hong Kong’s high degree of connectivity from different perspectives.
 
     Among the photos, two newly commissioned infrastructure projects, namely the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge and the Hong Kong section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link, which greatly enhance the connectivity of Hong Kong to the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and destinations further afield in Mainland China, are featured. 
 
     The photo exhibition also showcases the many types of transport and world-class infrastructure in Hong Kong.
 
     Ms Mo invited guests at the opening ceremony and the Canadian public to learn more about Hong Kong’s connectivity by visiting the photo exhibitions and participating in other Hong Kong Week activities.
 
     Yesterday’s opening ceremony was attended by the Consul General of the People’s Republic of China in Toronto, Mr Han Tao; Members of the Provincial Parliament of Ontario Ms Daisy Wai and Mr Billy Pang.
 
     Before the opening ceremony came to a close, the guests were treated to a Chinese instrumental performance by four professional musicians from the Hong Kong Oratorio Society (HKOS). Led by the Music Director of the HKOS, Professor Chan Wing-wah, the HKOS will jointly stage a concert with Kindred Spirits Orchestra of Markham and the Vancouver Oratorio Society on June 22 (Toronto time).
 
     The “Connect & Excel – Past, Present & Future” photo exhibition will run from June 15 to 30 (Toronto time) in various venues in the Greater Toronto Area and in downtown Vancouver. The dates and venues are listed below:
 
June 18-20       Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater Toronto
June 18-22      North York Civic Centre in Toronto
June 18-30      Richard Charles Lee Canada-Hong Kong Library of the University of Toronto
June 24-30      Sunroom & Gallery, Robson Square, University of British Columbia in Vancouver
 
Other activities of Hong Kong Week include:
June 18             Seminar on “Connecting Hong Kong and Canada through Music” at
                        the Richard Charles Lee Canada-Hong Kong Library of the University of Toronto
June 21            2019 National Conference themed “Think Asia, Think Hong Kong 2.0” at Hilton Toronto/Markham Suites Conference Centre & Spa
June 21 to 23    Concord Pacific Dragon Boat Festival in Vancouver
June 22            “Voices of the World” concert at the Richmond Hill Centre for Performing Arts
June 30            Hong Kong-themed musical performances “Try to Remember” at Michael J Fox Theatre in Vancouver

            

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     The Hospital Authority (HA) set up a working group comprising members of the Coordinating Committee (A&E), Information Technology and Health Informatics Department and data security expert, to explore means of enhancing protection of patient data while ensuring the operation efficiency of Accident and Emergency (A&E) Departments. The working group met yesterday (June 18) to address concerns recently expressed in the community and by some healthcare staff towards safeguarding patient data privacy.

     The Chiefs of Service of all A&E Departments agreed that the Accident and Emergency Information System (AEIS) is very important to clinical services in the Department. It was confirmed that all computers and the AEIS in A&E Department are for the exclusive use of public hospital staff. Given the different views of the community and healthcare staff towards access arrangement of the systems concerned, the Chiefs of Service of all A&E Department agreed to suspend the “report” and “print” in the “Disaster” module beginning tomorrow. Staff can only access with personal password via the Clinical Management System to view or print the patient list of major incidents of AEIS.

     Regarding recent media reports on a designated page for police in the system, the HA clarified that “For Police” selection in AEIS is just a printing option. There is never a designated page for police access to patient information, as being described wrongly by somebody. The HA reiterated that the AEIS is an independent system of the HA without connection to the computer system of any other organisation. No access right has been given to any government department including the police.

     There were also some recent news reports on possible unintended exposure of computer screens in busy A&E Departments. The HA understands that A&E staff may need to leave their desktop computers at times to help resuscitate patients, hence will install in AEIS of all A&E Departments the automatic log-out function after idling for 15 minutes. Computers are also installed with screensaver programme to prevent the risk of information exposing accidentally.

     As A&E Departments are always crowded with members of public and other rescue department staff, the HA has reminded healthcare staff to ensure that patients’ medical records and conversation are not leaked during triage and consultation. The HA will also remind law enforcement departments to be mindful of the respect for patient data privacy in hospitals.

     The HA will continue to uphold patient confidentiality, which is the cornerstone of patient confidence in seeking consultation. The HA reiterates that public hospital healthcare staff always work in the best interest of the patients and will not be compromised by any non-clinical activities. Patients in need are advised to seek timely consultation. read more

     Police today (June 19) appealed to the public for information on a man who went missing in Kwai Chung.                Ma Ka-chi, aged 71, went missing afte… read more

     Following is the transcript of remarks by the Secretary for Security, Mr John Lee, at a media session after attending the Legislative Council (LegCo) meeting today (June 19):

Reporter: You made an apology this morning, but why haven’t you bowed now?
 
Secretary for Security: I think I have expressed my apology. And I expressed my apology because as the Chief Executive said, it is because of the inadequacy of our work. So I have expressed my apology already and I hope that we will be working hard so that in future, in pushing or making proposals for the policies that the Government wants to make, there will be a good consultation and there will be a good communication so that views and opinions are taken into (account) for the benefit of the whole of Hong Kong.

Reporter: Secretary, in anticipation of this Friday of the ultimatum set by some netizens, would you promise them clearly that, in this term of Government before 2020, the Government would not carry out the extradition bill, i.e. the bill has been withdrawn in effect? And also another question is, to resolve the Taiwan case, would you consider the private member’s bill being tabled by some lawmakers?   
   
Secretary for Security: The private member’s bill has been proposed and the Government has been consulted on its way forward. This will do after a thorough discussion among our colleagues, but we will of course explain the Government’s position on the proposed bill. What is your first question?  
 
Reporter: Would you withdraw the bill and promise that it will not be re-tabled in this term of Government, in effect?   

Secretary for Security: I think the Chief Executive has indicated that in the coming year we shall have a lot of things that we want to take action into for different areas – to improve livelihood, to create opportunities for development, to do more for the economy. So there will be a long list of things that the Government will take into consideration seriously for the progress of Hong Kong. We accept the reality if it does happen that in this LegCo term, if the bill will not have an opportunity to be considered again, then we will accept that fact.         
 
Reporter: What about this term of Government?  

Secretary for Security: I think the LegCo year expires, or the LegCo term expires differently from the Government’s term. The LegCo term is a period of four years, whereas the Government period is five years.     
 
Reporter: How can people lodge complaints against the Special Tactical Unit if they do not have an ID number on their uniform? How can they do it? 
 
Secretary for Security: CAPO (Complaints Against Police Office) has been investigating complaints of different natures and CAPO will take into consideration all factors, including information available from the Police organisation as to who will be involved in what kind of job, at what time, at what hours. The CAPO system has been used in a lot of similar circumstances, so I will ask every one of you to give CAPO the opportunity to make investigation, so that they can look into all the circumstances of fact including information that they may gather from sources, such as the Internet and any person who may provide information to them. The investigation will be done thoroughly and impartially, and it will be submitted to the Independent Police Complaints Council for scrutiny.            

(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.) read more