Attention duty announcers, radio and TV stations:

     Please broadcast the following as soon as possible and repeat it at suitable intervals:

     The Marine Department today (April 13) reminded masters, coxswains and persons-in-charge of vessels navigating in Hong Kong waters to proceed at a safe speed and exercise extreme caution because restricted visibility of less than 2 nautical miles has been reported.

     Appropriate sound signals shall be made when underway or at anchor. All vessels must comply with the International Regulations for Preventing Collision at Sea.

     Also, when radar is used without the benefit of adequate plotting facilities, the information obtained from the equipment is rather limited and should be construed accordingly.

     Visibility reports are broadcast by the Vessel Traffic Centre (VTC) on VHF channels 02, 12, 14, 63 and 67.

     In the event of an accident, a report shall be made immediately to the VTC at Tel: 2233 7801.

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     The brand new Lions Blood Donation Vehicle of Hong Kong Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service (BTS) commenced service today (April 13). The Under Secretary for Food and Health, Dr Chui Tak-yi; the Hospital Authority Chief Executive, Dr Leung Pak-yin, and representatives of Lions Clubs International District 303 – Hong Kong & Macao, China (Lions Clubs), officiated the launch ceremony this morning. It is hoped that the new vehicle can serve as an extended service arm for BTS in enhancing the mobility of blood collection across a wider community network.

     Dr Leung shared in his opening speech at the ceremony that BTS first introduced the blood donation vehicle to Hong Kong in 1973, it was also the first of its type in Southeast Asia. Carrying the mission "Give Blood Save Life", it was well received by the public.

     Dr Leung believed, "With the support and coordination from the communities, BTS' donor centres, mobile blood drive and blood donation vehicle can complement each other to enhance blood collection." He also expressed his gratitude to the Lions Clubs for its generous donation.

     BTS will update the new vehicle's service schedule via its website, social media and HK Blood APP. The new vehicle is 11-metre long, 3.8-metre high, 2.6-metre wide and weighs 16 tonnes. With a built-in generator, the vehicle is able to operate independently and hence with greater flexibility for blood collection service.

      

     The Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO) is showcasing for the first time the smart lamppost and the free electronic identity (eID) at the Smart Government Pavilion at the International ICT Expo which started today (April 13). The public may also have a glimpse of various technology applications that government departments have adopted and will employ to enhance public service and develop Hong Kong into a smarter city.
      
     The smart lampposts to collect real-time city data will commence service in phases from mid-2019. A prototype of the smart lamppost has been set up at the Pavilion to exhibit the camera and various sensors and smart devices installed. There is also a demonstration on how data collected will facilitate city management with the aid of artificial intelligence technology and provide real-time city information to the public.
      
     Another highlight is the demonstration of eID, which is planned for rollout next year. Visitors can try out the quick and simple online registration and learn about the usage of this single digital identity authentication for performing online transactions with government and commercial entities.
      
     The OGCIO is also using the occasion to introduce the upcoming Smart Government Innovation Lab (Smart Lab) and the city dashboard. The Smart Lab will invite the industry to put forward proposals of innovative information technology applications and product suggestions for addressing challenges in public services while the city dashboard will present some livelihood-related open data such as those on traffic, weather and air quality on interactive charts and maps via data.gov.hk.
      
     "The Government endeavours to adopt innovation and technology in various areas and services. We hope that through the interactive exhibits at the Pavilion, the public will have a better understanding of the convenience these applications can bring to them," the Government Chief Information Officer, Mr Victor Lam, said after touring the Pavilion today.
      
     Other exhibits include the virtual reality technology adopted in maintenance training for seaport passenger boarding bridges; the e-Channel pre-fetch kiosk, which allows reading of smart identity card information by means of a contactless chip interface; the Post-dispatch Advice System to provide callers with more comprehensive and appropriate advice; the Single E-Lock Scheme for streamlining customs clearance processes; the Health Signs Monitoring System to help protect the safety of persons in custody; a voice recognition chatbot; and in-vehicle units to facilitate traffic management.
    

     The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, met the President of Tsinghua University and the Asian Universities Alliance (AUA), Professor Qiu Yong, at Government House at noon today (April 13) and hosted a lunch after the meeting for the 15 heads of the AUA member universities who will attend the annual AUA Summit in Hong Kong. The Secretary for Innovation and Technology, Mr Nicholas W Yang, also attended the lunch.

     At the meeting with Professor Qiu, Mrs Lam welcomed further co-operation between Tsinghua University and higher education institutions in Hong Kong, in particular in innovation and technology (I&T) and its application, to contribute jointly to the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area as an international I&T hub. She also thanked him for the arrangement made by Tsinghua University for her to speak at the institution to introduce the latest situation of Hong Kong during her trip to Beijing earlier.

     Addressing the lunch, Mrs Lam welcomed the visit of heads of AUA member universities to Hong Kong to attend the AUA Summit 2019 to be held tomorrow (April 14) at AUA member the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, which she is also invited to attend. She said that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government highly supports the strengthening of co-operation among universities in Hong Kong, the Mainland and overseas. The AUA brings together top universities in the region and provides an effective platform to promote various professional exchanges among member universities, enabling the enhancement of the quality of higher education and the capability in technological innovation in the Asian region.

     Mrs Lam said that the HKSAR Government is committed to promoting the development of I&T and establishing two world-class research clusters at the Hong Kong Science Park on healthcare technologies and artificial intelligence and robotics technologies. She encouraged the AUA to continue to deepen regional co-operation, including boosting exchanges among scientific researchers and collaboration in scientific research.

     Pioneered by Tsinghua University, the AUA was established in Beijing in 2017 with 15 universities from 14 Asian countries and regions.

    

     Police advise motorists that special traffic arrangements will be implemented in Sha Tin to facilitate the race meeting tomorrow (April 14).

     The arrangements will come into effect two hours before the start of the first race and will last until the crowds have dispersed after the race meeting.

     Appropriate traffic signs will be put up and police will be on hand to guide motorists.

     The Police also appeal to people going to Sha Tin Racecourse for the race meeting and to Happy Valley Racecourse for cross betting to make maximum use of public transport.

     Parking spaces at the two racecourses are available only to holders of appropriate permits issued by Hong Kong Jockey Club and any vehicles illegally parked will be towed away.