The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) announced today (April 2) that a sewer with a diameter of 450 mm underneath the Mills & Chung Path in Southern District of Hong Kong was found damaged, leading to the discharge of sewage and potentially affecting the water quality of the nearby Deep Water Bay Beach. The Drainage Services Department is arranging emergency repair of the damaged sewer.

     Deep Water Bay Beach has been temporarily closed as a precautionary measure to protect public health. Members of the public are advised not to swim at this beach during the closure period. Red flag has been hoisted and notice has been posted by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department at this beach to notify the public about the arrangement.

     The EPD will continue to monitor the beach water quality. The reopening of the beach will be announced upon the discharge is stopped and the beach water quality is confirmed to be within acceptable level.

     The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, accompanied by the Secretary for Transport and Housing, Mr Frank Chan Fan, and the Acting Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Dr Bernard Chan, met with the President of Panama, Mr Juan Carlos Varela Rodriguez, at Government House this afternoon (April 2). Panama's Minister of Commerce and Industry, Mr Nestor Gonzalez, and Minister for Canal Affairs, Mr Roberto Roy, also attended the meeting.

     Mrs Lam welcomed Mr Varela Rodriguez's visit to Hong Kong this year, shortly after China and Panama established diplomatic relations in 2017, to officiate at the opening ceremony of the Consulate General of Panama in Hong Kong. Mrs Lam expressed her gratitude for the importance he attaches to the relations between the two places. She said that Hong Kong, an international financial, logistics and business centre, has all along been the ideal gateway for overseas enterprises to get access to the markets in the Mainland and Asia; while Panama, a vital global hub for trade connecting the Pacific and the Atlantic, has been serving as a transshipment and logistics hub in Latin America and the Caribbean. Pointing out that both places possess excellent ports and are dedicated to developing the maritime industry, she said that Hong Kong is striving to develop high-end maritime services and co-operation between the two places is set to create synergy. She noted that Panama is one of the fastest-growing economies in Latin America and has great development potential, with bilateral merchandise trade between Hong Kong and Panama increasing by nearly 30 per cent year-on-year in 2018. Mrs Lam said she believed that the establishment of Panama's Consulate General in Hong Kong will add impetus to the advancement of bilateral trade and economic relations between the two places, and boost co-operation and exchanges in more areas.
 
     Mrs Lam said that with the commissioning of two major cross-boundary infrastructure projects last year, namely the Hong Kong section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link and the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, the travelling times between Hong Kong and Mainland cities have been shortened further, which will help promote the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Pointing out that Hong Kong is able to play a key role in the growing trade flows and bilateral ties between China and Panama, she encouraged Panamanian enterprises to leverage Hong Kong's status as an international financial, maritime and trading centre to explore markets in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the Mainland and elsewhere in Asia.

        

     The Secretary for Justice, Ms Teresa Cheng, SC, and the Vice-president of the Supreme People's Court, Mr Yang Wanming, signed the Arrangement Concerning Mutual Assistance in Court-ordered Interim Measures in Aid of Arbitral Proceedings by the Courts of the Mainland and of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) (Arrangement) today (April 2). Hong Kong becomes the first jurisdiction outside the Mainland where, as a seat of arbitration, parties to arbitral proceedings administered by its arbitral institutions would be able to apply to the Mainland courts for interim measures.
 
     After the signing of the Arrangement, the HKSAR is the only jurisdiction which has signed an arrangement with the Mainland on interim measures in aid of arbitral proceedings. It marks our strengths under the "one country, two systems" and enhances Hong Kong’s competitiveness in international arbitration services and further strengthens Hong Kong’s status as the centre for international legal and dispute resolution services in the Asia-Pacific Region.
 
     Under existing Hong Kong legislation, parties to arbitral proceedings in any place may apply to the courts of Hong Kong for interim measures. After the commencement of the Arrangement, parties to arbitral proceedings in Hong Kong, before the arbitral award is made, can make an application for interim measure to the Mainland courts, including property preservation, evidence preservation and conduct preservation. It aims at preventing one of the parties to arbitral proceedings from deliberately destroying the evidence or transferring the property and also ensuring that the arbitratral proceedings can be carried out effectively.
 
     According to the Arrangement, parties to arbitral proceedings seated in the HKSAR and administered by eligible arbitral institutions which have been designated would be able to apply to the Mainland courts for interim measures. 
 
     The commencement date of the Arrangement will be decided after the promulgation of a judicial interpretation by the Supreme People’s Court and completion of relevant procedures in the HKSAR. The Arrangement will strengthen legal co-operation between the two places and further enhance Hong Kong’s status as a centre for international arbitration in the Asia-Pacific Region.

        

     Hong Kong Customs today (April 2) conducted an anti-counterfeiting operation to combat the sale of counterfeit handbags and leather products. A total of about 1 300 pieces of suspected counterfeit handbags and leather products with an estimated market value of about $600,000 were seized.

     Customs conducted patrol earlier and found that suspected counterfeit goods were being sold at retail shops in Stanley. After an in-depth investigation and with the assistance of trademark owner, Customs officers today took enforcement action and raided two retail shops and one storage facility in the district. The batch of suspected counterfeit goods were also seized.  

     During the operation, one man and two women were arrested, including one shop owner and two salespersons, aged between 34 and 47.

     Investigation is ongoing.

     Customs will continue to step up inspection and enforcement to combat the sale of counterfeit goods.  

     Customs reminds consumers to procure goods at reputable shops and to check with the trademark owners or their authorised agents if the authenticity of a product is in doubt.  

     Customs also reminds traders to be cautious and prudent in merchandising since the sale of counterfeit goods is a serious crime and offenders are liable to criminal liability.

     Under the Trade Descriptions Ordinance, any person who sells or possesses for sale any goods with a forged trademark commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $500,000 and imprisonment for five years.

     Members of the public may report any suspected infringing activities to the Customs' 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk).

      

     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) is today (April 2) investigating three additional cases of measles infection involving workers at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA).

​     The first case involves a 23-year-old man with good past health, who developed fever and cough on March 27 and rash on March 28. He sought medical attention at the Accident and Emergency Department at Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital on March 29 and 30, and was admitted for treatment on March 30. A laboratory test of his respiratory specimen was positive for the measles virus. He has been in a stable condition and had received two doses of measles vaccination. He had no travel history during the incubation period or the communicable period.

     The second case involves a 29-year-old man with good past health, who developed cough, runny nose and headache on March 25 and rash on March 27. He consulted a general practitioner on March 29 and sought medical attention at the Accident and Emergency Department at Tin Shui Wai Hospital and was subsequently transferred to Tuen Mun Hospital for admission and treatment on the same day. A laboratory test of his respiratory specimen was positive for the measles virus. He has been in a stable condition. He reported to have measles vaccination and had no travel history during the incubation period or the communicable period.
 
     The third case involves another 23-year-old man with good past health, who developed fever on March 29 and rash on March 30. He consulted a general practitioner on March 29 and another general practitioner on March 30. He then sought medical attention at the Accident and Emergency Department at Princess Margaret Hospital and was admitted for treatment on March 31. A laboratory test of his respiratory specimen was positive for the measles virus. He has been in a stable condition. He reported to have measles vaccination and had no travel history during the incubation period or the communicable period.

     According to the patients, all of them did not have contact with measles patients during the incubation period. Their home contacts have remained asymptomatic so far and have been put under medical surveillance.

​     Upon notification of the cases, the CHP immediately commenced epidemiological investigations and conducted relevant contact tracing. Initial investigations revealed that no contact has shown measles-related symptoms so far. The public places the patients visited during the communicable period are listed in the appendix.

     "The incubation period (the period from infection to appearance of illness) of measles ranges from seven days to 21 days. Members of the general public who have visited the public places listed in the appendix during the period should observe if they develop relevant symptoms, such as fever, skin rash, cough, runny nose and red eyes in seven to 21 days (the medical surveillance period). If symptoms arise, they should wear surgical masks, stop going to work or school and avoid going to crowded places. They should also avoid contact with non-immune persons, especially persons with weakened immunity, pregnant women and children aged below 1. Those suspected to have been infected are advised to seek medical attention as early as possible and reveal relevant contact history of measles to healthcare professionals," a spokesman for the DH said.

     The DH anticipates that the measles outbreak at the airport will not be concluded in the near future, so the control measures at the airport including vaccination and blood testing services will continue for a period of time till further notice. Detailed arrangements will depend on the latest situations and will be announced in due course.

     "In view of the tight supply of measles vaccines around the globe currently, the DH has to reserve vaccines for people who are most in need and arrange vaccination for those who do not have sufficient immunity against measles in a more effective and timely manner," the spokesman said.

     From today to April 4, the vaccination quota for the measles vaccination stations at the airport is set at 500 doses daily. Eligible airport staff will be limited to the following target groups:

(1) Born in or after 1967, and have not received two doses of measles vaccination, and have not been infected with measles before, and with evidence of living with infants under 1 year old or living with pregnant women; or

(2) Have laboratory evidence of testing not positive against measles antibody (IgG).

     Details of evidence are as follows:

(a) Supporting documents for living with infants under 1 year old: for example birth certificate, discharge summary or vaccination card of the infant
(b) Supporting documents for living with pregnant women: for example, positive pregnancy tests or antenatal follow-up cards of the pregnant women
(c) Supporting documents for laboratory evidence: for example blood results from the DH's measles serology test or any laboratory within the past 12 months

     The vaccination arrangements from April 2 to 4 at the airport vaccination stations are as follows:
 

     A total of 124 persons received measles vaccination at the vaccination stations as at 5pm today, bringing the cumulative number of vaccinations given to 7,645. A hotline (2125 1122) has been set up for public enquiries and operates from 9am to 5.45pm daily. As of 5pm today, the hotline had received a total of 2,623 enquiries.

     The spokesman reiterated that for airport staff who do not belong to the target groups, there is no pressing need for them to receive measles vaccination and resources should be reserved for those in most need.

     In addition, the DH will continue with the provision of a measles serology test service for airport staff belonging to target group (1) to identify those who need measles vaccination. As announced earlier, from April 1 to 4 the DH will be able to provide blood test service to around 100 airport staff daily. Nine blood samples have been collected today.

     The blood test station is located at the south side before the Immigration Hall at Level 3 of Terminal 2 (non-restricted area). The station will be open from 10am to 1pm and 2pm to 4pm. The DH will notify the participants individually of the serology results by phone.