The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     The spokesperson of Tai Po Hospital made the following announcement today (April 8):
 
     Seven patients (aged 39 to 69) in a male infirmary ward presented with fever and upper respiratory infection symptoms since April 1. Appropriate viral tests were arranged and the test results were positive for enterovirus/Rhinovirus. The patients are being treated under isolation in stable condition.
 
     Admission to the ward has been suspended. Restricted visiting has been implemented and infection control measures have already been stepped up. All other patients in the ward are under close surveillance.
 
     The cases have been reported to the Hospital Authority Head Office and the Centre for Health Protection for follow-up.
 

     The Immigration Department announced today (April 8) that the period of visa-free entry for Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) passport holders to Belarus will be extended from up to 14 days to 30 days with effect from April 10. Likewise, the visa-free period for national passport holders of Belarus to visit the HKSAR will be extended from 14 days to 30 days with effect from the same date.

     An Immigration Department spokesman said, "To foster co-operation and exchanges between Hong Kong and the Belt and Road countries, the HKSAR Government has been in discussion with the authorities concerned and in the past two years a total of eight countries have granted visa-free access or visa-on-arrival to HKSAR passport holders. These countries are Togo, Barbados, Belarus, Antigua and Barbuda, Bolivia, Myanmar, Panama and Armenia. The relevant arrangements will bring greater travel convenience to travellers from Hong Kong and these countries, and strengthen the tourism, cultural and economic ties between the places."

     As of today, 165 countries and territories have granted visa-free access or visa-on-arrival to HKSAR passport holders. Please visit the following website for details: www.immd.gov.hk/eng/service/travel_document/visa_free_access.html or scan the attached code.

     The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) released the 2018 Beach Water Quality Report today (April 8). The report indicates that all of the 41 gazetted beaches in Hong Kong complied with the Water Quality Objective (WQO) for bathing waters in that year, with 26 of them ranked as "good" and the remaining 15 ranked as "fair" in water quality.

     An EPD spokesman said, "The beaches of Hong Kong have maintained 100 per cent full compliance with the WQO for nine consecutive years since 2010.

     "The sustained improvement in beach water quality is the result of years of efforts to implement pollution control and environmental improvement measures, including the enforcement of the Water Pollution Control Ordinance, implementation of the Livestock Waste Control Scheme and the Harbour Area Treatment Scheme, and extension of sewerage to the beach hinterland according to Sewerage Master Plans."

     The spokesman added, "The EPD will maintain close monitoring and reporting of the water quality of all bathing beaches to safeguard the health of beachgoers and provide scientific data for supporting the formulation of water quality improvement policy."

     The 2018 Beach Water Quality Report can be found at the EPD's website (www.epd.gov.hk/epd/beach).

    

     The latest test results of the opening-up investigation in the second stage of the holistic assessment strategy for the Hung Hom Station Extension under the Shatin to Central Link (SCL) project (as at April 8) are now available at the Highways Department's website for the SCL project (www.hyd.gov.hk/en/road_and_railway/railway_projects/scl/index.html) for reference by the public.

     Police today (April 8) appealed to the public for information on a man who went missing in Sau Mau Ping.

     Wong Kwok-hung, aged 85, went missing after he was last seen on Hiu Kwong Street yesterday (April 7) afternoon. His family made a report to Police on the same day.

     He is about 1.5 metres tall, 50 kilograms in weight and of thin build. He has a square face with yellow complexion and short white hair. He was last seen wearing a short-sleeved T-shirt with grey and white stripes, brown trousers and brown shoes.

     Anyone who knows the whereabouts of the missing man or may have seen him is urged to contact the Regional Missing Person Unit of Kowloon East on 3661 0316 or 9020 2746 or email to rmpu-ke-2@police.gov.hk, or contact any police station.