Author Archives: hksar gov

     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health today (March 4) reported the latest number of cases 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.
 
     From February 24 to March 2, one community-acquired LD case was reported. The male patient, aged 76 with underlying illnesses, lives in Tower 19, Laguna Verde, 8 Laguna Verde Avenue, Hung Hom.

     “Epidemiological investigations are ongoing to identify potential sources of infection, high-risk exposure and clusters, if any,” a spokesman for the CHP said.

     As of March 2, six LD cases had been reported in 2019. In 2018 and 2017, there were 105 and 72 cases respectively.
 
     “Men, people aged over 50, smokers, alcoholics and persons with weakened immunity are more susceptible to LD. Some situations may also increase the risk of infection, including poor maintenance of water systems leading to stagnant water; living in areas with old water systems, cooling towers or fountains; using electric water heaters, whirlpools and spas or hot water spring spas; and recent stays in hotels or vessels,” the spokesman said.

     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 which 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.

     Immunocompromised persons should:
 

• Use sterile or boiled water for drinking, tooth brushing and mouth rinsing;
• Avoid using humidifiers, or other mist- or aerosol-generating devices. A shower may also generate small aerosols; and
• 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 should observe the health advice 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 water (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.

     The public may visit 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. read more

     The Transport Department today (March 4) reminded the public that to facilitate preparation work for a car racing event in Central, temporary road closures and traffic diversions for all vehicular traffic have been implemented on sections of Lung Wo Road, Man Yiu Street, Man Kwong Street, Yiu Sing Street, Man Po Street and Man Cheung Street of the Central Waterfront until 1.15am on March 9 (Saturday). 
      
     Traffic in the Central district is expected to be busier than usual. Motorists are advised to avoid driving to above areas unless necessary. In case of traffic congestion, motorists should exercise tolerance and patience, and follow the road signs.
      
     Members of the public are advised to plan their journey well in advance, use public transport services as far as possible and allow ample time for travelling. 
      
     Relevant traffic and transport arrangements on the event dates and road restoration work afterwards will be announced later.
      
     Details of the special traffic and transport arrangements are now available on the department’s website (www.td.gov.hk). read more

Attention TV/radio announcers: Please broadcast the following as soon as possible:      Here is an item of interest to swimmers.      The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced today (Ma… read more

     Following is the transcript of remarks by the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Dr Law Chi-kwong, on initiatives under the Labour and Welfare Bureau in the 2019-20 Budget after attending a radio programme this morning (March 4):
 
Reporter: Mr Law, can I ask a few English questions? The issue that the Government – just now you acknowledged that there may be a little impact on the market with this plan. In what ways can the Government minimise its impact on the property market?
 
Secretary for Labour and Welfare: We will take it (purchase of premises for provision of welfare services) very cautiously. As I have mentioned, in 2018, there were about slightly more than 8 000 transactions involving the type of premises (non-residential building units) that we are thinking of. We are considering only buying around 20 such premises in one year. Out of 8 000, the impact should be very minimal. I can’t say nil, but definitely it should be minimal. We will try our very best effort to make sure that we will not use a very high price to buy. That will not be consistent with the procurement policy of the Government.
 
Reporter: But the overall plan is to buy 60 properties, so are you saying that you are going to do that gradually? If there is any money left, what would you be spending that on?
 
Secretary for Labour and Welfare: The initial plan is about (purchasing) 60 sets of premises that involve around 134, to be exact, facilities for welfare use. In fact, on our list, we have more than 400 such kind of service facilities that we require, so the more we can buy, the better. It depends on the availability and the suitability of such premises. Thank you.
 
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.) read more

     The Director-General of Investment Promotion, Mr Stephen Phillips, today (March 4) embarked on visits in Astana in Kazakhstan, Moscow in Russia and Istanbul in Turkey as part of Invest Hong Kong’s sustained overseas efforts to update local businesspeople on the diverse opportunities Hong Kong has to offer.

     Mr Phillips will meet leaders of companies and institutions in a wide range of sectors including financial services and other innovation and technology industries such as smart city and data analytics, plus those in the business associations and chambers as well as investment promotion counterparts. During the meetings, he will introduce the latest developments of the respective sectors in Hong Kong and various tax incentives offered by the Government to encourage companies setting up in Hong Kong and spending on research and development. He will also speak at an event hosted by the Turkey – Hong Kong Business Council of the Foreign Economic Relations Board of Turkey (DEIK).

     Mr Phillips said, “The Central Government recently announced the Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. The document sets out clearly Hong Kong’s multiple roles as the international financial, transportation and trade centre, an international aviation hub, a global offshore Renminbi business hub and an international asset management centre and risk management centre. It also encourages Hong Kong to develop high-end and high value-added financial, commercial and trading, logistics and professional services; develop the innovation and technology industries; nurture emerging industries; and establish itself as the centre for international legal and dispute resolution services in the Asia-Pacific region. These areas of work are all conducive to developing Hong Kong further as an international metropolis with enhanced competitiveness.”

     He added, “The Outline Development Plan will position Hong Kong as an even more ideal platform for foreign companies that aim to have a reliable foothold in the Asia-Pacific region and have access to the massive and vibrant Greater Bay Area market.”

     The Greater Bay Area covers nine cities in Guangdong Province, namely Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Foshan, Huizhou, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Jiangmen and Zhaoqing, as well as the two Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macao. It is an enormous market with a population of 70 million and a gross domestic product of US$1.5 trillion.

About Invest Hong Kong

     Invest Hong Kong is the department of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government responsible for attracting foreign direct investment and supporting overseas and Mainland businesses to set up or expand in Hong Kong. It provides free advice and customised services for overseas and Mainland companies. For more information, please visit www.investhk.gov.hk. read more