The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:
 
     The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) wishes to alert members of the public to a press release issued by The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited on phishing email, which has been reported to the HKMA.  Hyperlink to the press release is available on the HKMA website for ease of reference by members of the public.
      
               Anyone who has provided his or her personal information to the email concerned or has conducted any financial transactions through the email should contact the bank concerned using the contact information provided in the press release, and report to the Police or contact the Cyber Security and Technology Crime Bureau of the Hong Kong Police Force at 2860 5012.
 
 

     The Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, will deliver the 2019-20 Budget at the Legislative Council at 11am tomorrow (February 27). The full text of the Budget Speech and other related documents will also be released simultaneously on the Budget website (www.budget.gov.hk).
 
     Copies of the Budget Speech and a leaflet highlighting key Budget proposals will be available for collection once the Financial Secretary finishes his speech. They will be available on a first-come, first-served basis from about 1.15pm to 7pm at the 20 Home Affairs Enquiry Centres (HAECs) of the Home Affairs Department except the Mui Wo and Cheung Chau HAECs, which will close at 6pm and 6.45pm respectively and the collection counter set up by the Information Services Department at the footbridge entrance to the Central Government Offices at Tamar opposite Admiralty Centre, Admiralty.
 
     Copies of the highlights leaflet will also be distributed at the following places at the same time while stocks last:
 
* Seven government offices:
 
     Queensway Government Offices, Admiralty
     Immigration Tower, Wan Chai
     Revenue Tower, Wan Chai
     Wanchai Tower, Wan Chai
     North Point Government Offices, North Point
     Trade and Industry Tower, Kowloon City
     Tsuen Wan Government Offices, Tsuen Wan
      
* Offices of the Labour Department (Labour Relations Division or Job Centres):
 
     CityPlaza Three, Taikoo Shing
     Revenue Tower, Wan Chai
     Western Magistracy Building
     North Point Government Offices
     Kowloon East Government Offices
     Trade and Industry Tower, Kowloon City
     Mongkok Government Offices
     Cheung Sha Wan Government Offices
     Kwai Hing Government Offices
     Tsuen Wan Government Offices
     Tuen Mun Central Square
     Sha Tin Government Offices
     Tai Po Government Offices
     Landmark North, Sheung Shui
     Victory Building, Tuen Mun
     Tin Ching Amenity and Community Building, Tin Shui Wai
     Yat Tung Shopping Centre, Tung Chung
     Hong Kong Institute of Construction – Kowloon Bay Campus
 
* 20 Mass Transit Railway stations (until 4pm):
 
     Central, Admiralty, Causeway Bay, Wan Chai, Jordan, Mong Kok, Wong Tai Sin, Kwun Tong, Hang Hau, Kennedy Town, Tsuen Wan, Tsing Yi, Kowloon Tong, East Tsim Sha Tsui, Tai Wai, Sha Tin, Tai Po Market, Tuen Mun, Yuen Long and Tin Shui Wai
 
* Ground plaza of HSBC Main Building, Central
 
* Times Square, Causeway Bay
 
* Harbour City, Tsim Sha Tsui
 
* The following 63 shopping centres in public housing estates:
 
Hong Kong
———
Siu Sai Wan Plaza, Chai Wan
Wan Tsui Shopping Centre, Chai Wan
Oi Tung Shopping Centre, Shau Kei Wan
Hing Tung Shopping Centre, Shau Kei Wan
Stanley Plaza, Stanley
Lei Tung Shopping Centre, Ap Lei Chau
Shek Pai Wan Shopping Centre, Aberdeen
Wah Fu (II) Commercial Complex, Aberdeen
 
Kowloon
——-
Lei Yue Mun Plaza, Yau Tong
Kai Tin Shopping Centre, Lam Tin
Tsui Ping (North) Shopping Centre, Kwun Tong
Shun Lee Shopping Centre, Kwun Tong
Yau Lai Shopping Centre, Kwun Tong
On Kay Commercial Centre, Kwun Tong
Lok Wah (North) Shopping Centre, Ngau Tau Kok
Sau Mau Ping Shopping Centre, Sau Mau Ping
Tsz Wan Shan Shopping Centre, Tsz Wan Shan
Choi Wan Shopping Centre, Wong Tai Sin
Temple Mall South, Wong Tai Sin
Chuk Yuen Plaza, Wong Tai Sin
Fung Tak Shopping Centre, Diamond Hill
Lok Fu Place, Wang Tau Hom
Shek Kip Mei Shopping Centre, Sham Shui Po
Hoi Fu Shopping Centre, Mong Kok
Oi Man Plaza, Ho Man Tin
Homantin Plaza, Ho Man Tin
 
New Territories East
——————–
Choi Yuen Plaza, Sheung Shui
Ching Ho Shopping Centre, Sheung Shui
Cheung Lung Lane, Sheung Shui
Wah Ming Shopping Centre, Fanling
Fu Shin Shopping Centre, Tai Po
Tai Wo Plaza, Tai Po
Heng On Shopping Centre, Ma On Shan
Yan On Shopping Centre, Ma On Shan
Mei Tin Shopping Centre, Sha Tin
Hin Keng Shopping Centre, Sha Tin
Kwong Yuen Shopping Centre, Sha Tin
Sha Kok Shopping Centre, Sha Tin
Mei Lam Shopping Centre, Sha Tin
Wo Che Plaza, Sha Tin
Pok Hong Commercial Centre, Sha Tin
Yue Tin Court Commercial Centre, Sha Tin
Shui Chuen O Plaza, Sha Tin
TKO Gateway, Tseung Kwan O
Po Lam Shopping Centre, Tseung Kwan O
Sheung Tak Plaza, Tseung Kwan O
 
New Territories West
———————
T Town, Tin Shui Wai
Tin Ching Shopping Centre, Tin Shui Wai
Tin Shui (II) Shopping Centre, Tin Shui Wai
Tin Yan Shopping Centre, Tin Shui Wai
Long Ping Shopping Centre, Yuen Long
Long Shin Shopping Centre, Yuen Long
Butterfly Plaza, Tuen Mun
Leung King Plaza, Tuen Mun
Shan King Shopping Centre, Tuen Mun
Tai Hing Shopping Centre, Tuen Mun
Siu Hong Shopping Centre, Tuen Mun
Yan Tin Shopping Centre, Tuen Mun
Hung Fuk Shopping Centre, Hung Shui Kiu
 
Tsuen Wan and Kwai Chung and Islands
———————————-
Cheung Fat Plaza, Tsing Yi
Lei Muk Shue Shopping Centre, Tsuen Wan
Kwai Chung Shopping Centre, Kwai Chung
Fu Tung Plaza, Tung Chung
 
     The public can watch the live broadcast of the delivery of the speech by the Financial Secretary in the Legislative Council, the press conference, a television forum and a radio programme on the Budget webpage (www.budget.gov.hk).
     

     A total of 624 additional cases of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection were reported to the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) in 2018, compared with 681 in 2017.
                           
     Reviewing the HIV/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) situation in Hong Kong at a press conference today (February 26), the Consultant (Special Preventive Programme) of the CHP, Dr Kenny Chan, said that sexual transmission remained the major mode of HIV transmission.
 
     Dr Chan stressed the importance of consistent and proper use of condoms in reducing the risk of contracting HIV.
 
     "HIV is the cause of AIDS and, without treatment, about half of HIV-infected people will progress to AIDS within 10 years. On the contrary, HIV treatment prevents AIDS and significantly prolongs survival," he remarked.
 
     "Members of the public with a history of unsafe sex should take an HIV antibody test early. They can call the DH's AIDS Hotline (2780 2211) for a free, anonymous and confidential HIV test. HIV-positive people should seek specialist care as soon as possible," Dr Chan said.
 
     Of the 624 newly added HIV cases, 530 males and 94 females, reported in 2018, 363 (58 per cent) acquired the infection via homosexual or bisexual contact, 138 (22 per cent) via heterosexual contact, and three (0.5 per cent) via drug injection. The routes of transmission of the remaining 120 cases have yet to be determined due to inadequate information.
 
     In the fourth quarter of 2018, 172 new cases of HIV infection were reported, taking the cumulative total of HIV infections reported locally to 9 715 since 1984.
 
     Of the 172 HIV cases, involving 148 males and 24 females, reported in the above quarter, 96 acquired the infection via homosexual or bisexual contact and 33 via heterosexual contact and two via drug injection. The routes of transmission of the remaining 41 cases have yet to be determined due to inadequate information.
 
     The new cases of the above quarter were mainly reported by three major sources: public hospitals and clinics (80 cases); private hospitals, clinics and laboratories (30 cases); and AIDS service organisations (25 cases).
 
     Of the newly reported cases in the above quarter, 128 of them (74 per cent) have already received HIV specialist services at the DH or the Hospital Authority.
 
     In addition, 37 new cases of AIDS were reported in the above quarter, of which 19 cases (51 per cent) were attributed to homosexual or bisexual contact and 13 cases (35 per cent) were related to heterosexual contact. Since 1985, a cumulative total of 1 996 confirmed AIDS cases have been reported in Hong Kong.
 
     In the above quarter, the most common AIDS-defining illness was Pneumocystis pneumonia, a kind of chest infection.
   
     The public may visit these pages for more information on HIV/AIDS: the DH's Virtual AIDS Office (www.aids.gov.hk), the Red Ribbon Centre (www.rrc.gov.hk), the AIDS Hotline website (www.27802211.com) and the Gay Men HIV Information website (www.21171069.com).

  

     China State Construction Engineering (Hong Kong) Limited (CSCE) was caught illegally discharging substandard wastewater into the communal storm drain at its construction site on Ma On Shan Road. The company was fined $20,000 by Fanling Magistrates' Courts today (February 26) for contravening the Water Pollution Control Ordinance (WPCO).

     A spokesman for the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) said that during an inspection at a construction site of CSCE on Ma On Shan Road in June last year, the enforcement officers found that muddy water was generated when a worker of the site was washing the wheels of construction vehicles. The muddy water was not properly treated before being discharged directly into the storm drain outside the site. The EPD then collected a muddy water sample for analysis, and the result showed that the concentration of the suspended solids greatly exceeded the statutory limit by about 123 times. The department subsequently prosecuted CSCE in accordance with the WPCO.

     The spokesman pointed out that all construction site contractors must install suitable wastewater treatment facilities to collect and treat the wastewater generated in the construction sites. They also have to maintain the effective operation of the facilities to ensure that all discharges meet the relevant standards and prevent them from polluting the river channels, sewers or shorelines.

     Under the WPCO, it is an offence for anyone to discharge wastewater into the communal drainage system or a water body. First-time offenders are liable to a maximum fine of $200,000 and six months' imprisonment. A maximum fine of $400,000 and six months' imprisonment may be imposed on subsequent convictions.

     Hongkong Post announced today (February 26) that, as advised by the postal administration of Australia, mail delivery services to Queensland (postcodes 4804 to 4899) have returned to normal.