Following is the speech by the Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, at the MOU Signing Ceremony between Tencent Finance Academy and the University of Hong Kong today (March 6):
 
Paul (Provost and Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of Hong Kong, Professor Paul Tam), Jim (Vice President of Tencent; President of Tencent Financial Technology and Dean of Tencent Finance Academy, Mr Jim Lai ), Christopher (Dean of Engineering of the University of Hong Kong, Professor Christopher Chao),professors, students, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
 
     Good evening.
      
     I am delighted to be here with you tonight to witness this welcome agreement – this cross-boundary partnership between Tencent, China’s leading tech company, and the University of Hong Kong, Asia’s preeminent university.
      
     More specifically, the agreement connects Tencent Finance Academy and the University of Hong Kong’s Department of Computer Science in the Faculty of Engineering, enabling them to join forces with each other as they march into a future in which fintech (financial technology) will clearly play a significant role.
      
     In transcending institutions and boundaries, this business-education partnership is a dynamic model of what Hong Kong needs if we are to ride the global wave of innovation and technology.
      
     The HKSAR Government is very determined to ride this wave and leverage it to reach new heights.  In my Budget Speech announced last week, I allocated a further $45 billion to building Hong Kong into an innovation and technology hub.  And fintech is among our priority areas for good reason.
      
     Hong Kong is blessed with a highly developed information and communications technology sector.  Our financial regulatory regime is transparent and mature, and we have long embraced the free flow of talent, capital and information.  Our robust intellectual property regime is buttressed by the rule of law, and our post-secondary educational sector is innovative on a global scale.
      
     Indeed, along with the University of Hong Kong, five other Hong Kong universities have also rolled out fintech undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.
      
     The Government is committed to enabling their efforts. Our Study Subsidy Scheme for Designated Professionals, for example, now covers self-financing, fintech-related undergraduate programmes.  And to ensure that new graduates gain work experience and international exposure, the HKMA (Hong Kong Monetary Authority)’s Fintech Career Accelerator Scheme provides fintech-related internships.  Cyberport also sponsors top students to take fintech training camps in the Silicon Valley and Chicago.
      
     Moreover, we welcome fintech talent from the Mainland and from all over the world through our Talent List, which fast-tracks immigration requirements for a variety of in-demand expertise, including of course, experienced fintech professionals. 
      
     It’s the same with our Technology Talent Admission Scheme, which is open to tenants and incubatees of the Hong Kong Science Park and Cyberport engaged in fintech, and other areas. 
      
     I’m pleased to note that Tencent supported last year’s Hong Kong Fintech Week by hosting an informative visit to their headquarters in Shenzhen.  And through WeChat Pay HK, Tencent helped enable cross-boundary payments, making our Mainland travel more convenient.
      
     As for the University of Hong Kong, in co-operation with Cyberport and other industry players, it launched Asia’s first Fintech Massive Open Online Course last May.  I’m told that more than 22 000 people, from Hong Kong and from all over the world enrolled in the course.  And in the coming academic year, the multidisciplinary Bachelor of Arts and Sciences in Financial Technology programme will commence to nurture financial technologists and entrepreneurs with essential knowledge in both finance and technology.
      
     And now we have the partnership between Tencent and the University of Hong Kong, an alliance certain to expand fintech development in Hong Kong, in Shenzhen and, indeed, throughout the Greater Bay Area. 
      
     In connecting we create opportunity, whether between Tencent and the University of Hong Kong, or through the Greater Bay Area itself.  And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the clear catalyst for mutual success. Something I’m confident this partnership will bring about in the  fintech area and for all of us.
      
     Thank you.
     

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     The Hospital Authority (HA) spokesperson today (March 6) announced that confirmation has been received from the Medical Council of Hong Kong on the approval of three new applications of non-locally trained doctors for practice with Limited Registration in public hospitals to help relieve the front-line workload. The three doctors will be serving in Radiology, Emergency Medicine and Family Medicine.
 
     "The HA will continue to exhaust every effort to attract fully registered local doctors and retain public doctors. The recruitment of non-locally trained doctors has been progressing well since last year with the extension of Limited Registration to a three-year term. At the moment, there are 16 non-locally trained doctors who have been assessed to be eligible for the recruitment exercise and considered suitable for appointment after interviews by user departments. All the applicants have fulfilled related qualification requirements recognised by the constituent Colleges of the Hong Kong Academy of Medicine, and they all have licences to practise in their respective countries. The HA will submit Limited Registration applications for non-locally trained doctors in batches according to their intended date of reporting duty," the spokesperson remarked.
 
     Since 2011-12, a total of 39 applications were approved by the Medical Council of Hong Kong for practice with Limited Registration in public hospitals. As at January 2019, there are 10 non-locally trained doctors working in public hospitals to relieve the manpower pressure in the respective units in the specialties of Anaesthesia, Cardiothoracic Surgery, Emergency Medicine, Family Medicine and Internal Medicine. Seven doctors passed the licensing examination for local practice, in which six of them continue to serve in public hospitals. A further four doctors are employed by the two universities and continue to serve citizens of Hong Kong.

     The Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr James Lau, visited Kwai Tsing District this afternoon (March 6).
 
     Mr Lau first visited a youth centre of the Federation of New Territories Youth Foundation in Tsing Yi, where he was briefed on the centre's facilities and services, including its annual Mainland summer internship programme. He had a chat with past participants and said he was glad to learn that they had made use of the job placement in Fujian to understand more about the latest developments and work culture in the Mainland, and had been actively equipping themselves for career planning.
 
     He then proceeded to the Women Service Association in Kwai Chung Estate to learn more about the Neighbourhood Support Child Care Project provided there. Launched by the Social Welfare Department, the Project aims at providing flexible day care services for children to meet the needs of parents in the neighbourhood. Mr Lau had an exchange with the persons-in-charge and child carers, saying that in this year's Budget, the Government will allocate additional resources to increase professional and supporting manpower for the Project to strengthen training for home-based child carers so as to enhance the quality of services. In addition, incentive payments to these carers will be raised.  
 
     Before concluding the visit, Mr Lau exchanged views with the Chairman of the Kwai Tsing District Council, Mr Law King-shing, and other members on various issues of concern, including management fees of the Mandatory Provident Fund schemes, cross-border mobile payment and opening of bank accounts.
 

          

     The Secretary for the Civil Service, Mr Joshua Law, today (March 6) visited Sham Shui Po District, where he exchanged views with District Council (DC) members and visited an art and design college and a social services centre.

     Accompanied by the Chairman of the Sham Shui Po District Council, Mr Ambrose Cheung, and the District Officer (Sham Shui Po), Mr Damian Lee, Mr Law met with DC members and exchanged views on issues that concern them.

     Mr Law then toured the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) Hong Kong and met with students from different grades to understand their learning experience and visions for the future. The SCAD Hong Kong was established in the revitalised former North Kowloon Magistracy and is the only college in Hong Kong that focuses on teaching arts and design.

     Mr Law later proceeded to the Windshield Charitable Foundation Sham Shui Po Social Services Centre, where he met with new arrival students and women to better understand their adaptation to the local community. He said he was pleased to learn that the centre is committed to providing a wide range of services to new arrivals including induction programmes and employment support services, so as to facilitate their integration into society.

  

     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health is today (March 6) investigating a case of Legionnaires' disease (LD), and stressed the importance of using and maintaining properly designed man-made water systems and that susceptible groups should strictly observe relevant precautions.

     The male patient, aged 84 with underlying illnesses, who lives in a residential care home for the elderly (RCHE) in Aberdeen, has developed fever and shortness of breath since March 3. He sought medical attention at the Accident and Emergency Department of Queen Mary Hospital on the same day and was admitted to the Hospital on the next day (March 4) for treatment. The clinical diagnosis was pneumonia and he has been in a stable condition.
 
     The patient's urine sample tested positive for Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 antigen upon laboratory testing.
 
     Initial enquiries revealed that the patient had no travel history in the incubation period.

     "Epidemiological investigations with the RCHE are ongoing to identify potential sources of infection, high-risk exposure and clusters, if any. Relevant water samples and environmental swabs have been collected from potential sources for testing," a spokesman for the CHP said.
 
     Tracing of contacts including staff and residents in the RCHE where the patient stayed is ongoing and those identified will be put under medical surveillance. The CHP has provided health advice against LD to staff and residents, including those with weakened immunity who should use sterile or boiled water for drinking, tooth brushing and mouth rinsing.

     Legionellae are found in various environmental settings and grow well in warm water (20 to 45 degrees Celsius). They can be found in aqueous environments such as water tanks, hot and cold water systems, cooling towers, whirlpools and spas, water fountains and home apparatus that support breathing. People may get infected when they breathe in contaminated droplets (aerosols) and mist generated by artificial water systems, or when handling garden soil, compost and potting mixes.

     Persons with weakened immunity should strictly observe the health advice below:
 

1. Use sterile or boiled water for drinking, tooth brushing and mouth rinsing;
2. Avoid using humidifiers, or other mist- or aerosol-generating devices. A shower may also generate small aerosols; and
3. If using humidifiers, or other mist- or aerosol-generating devices, fill the water tank with only sterile or cooled freshly boiled water, and not water directly from the tap. Also, clean and maintain humidifiers/devices regularly according to manufacturers' instructions. Never leave stagnant water in a humidifier/device. Empty the water tank, wipe all surfaces dry, and change the water daily.

     The public, including susceptible groups, should take heed of the general precautions against LD below:
 

• Observe personal hygiene;
• Do not smoke and avoid alcohol consumption;
• Strainers in water taps and shower heads should be inspected, cleaned, descaled and disinfected regularly or at a frequency recommended by the manufacturer;
• If a fresh water plumbing system is properly maintained, it is not necessary to install domestic water filters. Use of water filters is not encouraged as clogging occurs easily, which can promote growth of micro-organisms. In case water filters are used, the pore size should be 0.2 micrometres (µm) and the filter needs to be changed periodically according to the manufacturer's recommendations;
• Drain and clean water tanks of buildings at least quarterly;
• Drain or purge for at least one minute the infrequently used water outlets (e.g. water taps, shower heads and hot water outlets) and stagnant points of the pipework weekly or before use;
• Seek and follow doctors' professional advice regarding the use and maintenance of home respiratory devices and use only sterile (not distilled or tap water) to clean and fill the reservoir. Clean and maintain the device regularly according to the manufacturer's instructions. After cleaning/disinfection, rinse the device with sterile water, cooled freshly boiled water or water filtered with 0.2 µm filters. Never leave stagnant water in the device. Empty the water tank, keep all surfaces dry, and change the water daily; and
• When handling garden soil, compost and potting mixes:

     1. Wear gloves and a face mask;
     2. Water gardens and compost gently using low pressure;
     3. Open composted potting mixes slowly and make sure the opening is directed away from the face;
     4. Wet the soil to reduce dust when potting plants; and
     5. Avoid working in poorly ventilated places such as enclosed greenhouses.

     More information is available in the CHP's LD page, the Code of Practice for Prevention of LD and the Housekeeping Guidelines for Cold and Hot Water Systems for Building Management of the Prevention of LD Committee, and the CHP's risk-based strategy for prevention and control of LD.