The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, attended the opening ceremony of the 34th Passive and Low Energy Architecture (PLEA) Conference at the Chinese University of Hong Kong this morning (December 10). She welcomed the participation of more than 300 academics, researchers, professionals and students from over 50 countries and regions in the three-day conference to promote bioclimatic design and sustainable architecture. Addressing the opening ceremony, she said that Hong Kong is committed to improving the built environment through a series of measures covering areas such as the law, technology and planning to develop Hong Kong as a more liveable, competitive and sustainable city.

     Presenting the 2018 Annual Awards at the ceremony, Mrs Lam said she was encouraged by the recognition given to a government department and several current and former government officials. The Architectural Services Department was one of the awardees in the organisation category for many of its innovative passive and low-energy architecture projects. In the individual category, the Secretary for the Environment, Mr Wong Kam-sing, a keen advocate of green buildings as an architect for many years, received an award. In addition, former Deputy Director of Housing Ms Ada Fung and former Chief Architect of the Housing Department Mr John Ng jointly received an award for their contributions to provide and improve low-cost and low-energy public housing. 

     The first PLEA conference was held in 1982 and an annual conference has been conducted in various places around the world over the years to promote the application of natural and innovative techniques for sustainable architecture and design. Hosted in Hong Kong for the first time, the conference was organised by the Chinese University of Hong Kong and the PLEA Association among other institutions.

     The Lands Department announced today (December 10) that in respect of the tender for the site New Kowloon Inland Lot No. 6574 at Kai Tak Area 4B Site 3, Kai Tak, Kowloon, which was awarded on November 7 to the successful tenderer, Voyage Mile Limited (parent company: Wheelock Properties Limited, New World Development Company Limited, Henderson Land Development Company Limited and Empire Development Hong Kong (BVI) Limited), on a 50-year land grant at a premium of $8,333 million, the tender amounts submitted by the unsuccessful tenderers in descending order are published on an anonymous basis as follows:
     
(1) $6,831,011,232
(2) $6,682,000,000
(3) $6,618,800,000
(4) $5,880,000,000
(5) $5,111,000,000
(6) $4,200,000,000
(7) $4,180,000,000

     The information disclosed in this press release is for information only.
     

Attention TV/radio announcers:

Please broadcast the following as soon as possible and repeat it at regular intervals:

     Here is an item of interest to swimmers.

     The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced today (December 10) that Yuen Long Swimming Pool in Yuen Long District has been temporarily closed for cleaning and superchlorination following the discovery of a small amount of vomit in the pool.

     It will be reopened at 6.30am tomorrow.

     The department appeals to swimmers to be considerate and to keep the swimming pools clean. They are advised not to swim after a full meal and should use the toilet facilities if necessary before swimming.

     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health today (December 10) reported a suspected case of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), and again urged the public to pay special attention to safety during travel, taking due consideration of the health risks in the places they visit. The case is detailed below:
 

 
    Separately, the CHP reported that the suspected MERS case pending results yesterday (December 9), upon preliminary testing, tested negative for MERS Coronavirus (MERS-CoV).
     
     "Travellers to the Middle East should avoid going to farms, barns or markets with camels; avoid contact with sick persons and animals, especially camels, birds or poultry; and avoid unnecessary visits to healthcare facilities. We strongly advise travel agents organising tours to the Middle East to abstain from arranging camel rides and activities involving direct contact with camels, which are known risk factors for acquiring MERS-CoV," a spokesman for the CHP said.

     Locally, the CHP's surveillance with public and private hospitals, with practising doctors and at boundary control points is firmly in place. Inbound travellers and members of the public who recently visited the Middle East and developed fever or lower respiratory symptoms within 14 days will be classified as suspected MERS cases. They will be taken to public hospitals for isolation and management until their specimens test negative for MERS-CoV.

     Travellers to affected areas should maintain vigilance, adopt appropriate health precautions and take heed of personal, food and environmental hygiene. The public may visit the MERS pages of the CHP and its Travel Health Service, MERS statistics in affected areas, the CHP's Facebook Page and YouTube Channel, and the World Health Organization's latest news for more information and health advice. Tour leaders and tour guides operating overseas tours are advised to refer to the CHP's health advice on MERS.

     Following is the transcript of remarks by the Secretary for Security, Mr John Lee, at a media session after attending an event today (December 10):
     
Reporter: Are HKSAR authorities investigating why Meng Wanzhou actually has three HKSAR passports? Is she hiding that she has three passports?

Secretary for Security: I have earlier explained in Cantonese very clearly the procedures in regard to an applicant when he or she wants to apply for replacement of (HKSAR) passport and what the procedure will be. On the approval of this application, Immigration Officers will first ask the applicant to surrender his or her passport, so that Immigration Officers would cancel that passport, and then he or she will be given the new passport together with the old, cancelled passport. If you talk about the immigration record of a particular person for a long period of time, it is very natural that the record will show that the person might have used more than one passport, because the record indicates what passport a person uses during that period of validity. So it is very natural that even you and I, if you look at the immigration record for a long time, then it will show that you have used more than one passport because at different times the validity of the passport makes you use that particular passport.
 
     The occasion when one may be using both old and new passports will be when the old passport contains a visa which remains valid, despite the cancellation of the old passport. Then the person will have to produce both old and new passports in order to show first of all he or she has a valid travel document, and there is a valid visa attached to the old passport for the immigration officials of that particular country to check. How the officers of that country will record the documents is really up to them, because he will have to follow the procedures as laid down by his own authorities. The most important thing is, at any one time, an SAR passport holder can only hold one valid passport.              

(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)