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Author Archives: hksar gov

ORO reports incident involving loss of backup tapes

     A spokesman for the Official Receiver’s Office (ORO) said today (January 27) that the department attaches the utmost importance to an incident involving the loss of magnetic backup tapes and expresses sincere apologies.
 
     The ORO received a report on January 22, and confirmed upon investigation that seven magnetic backup tapes were lost during their transit from Immigration Tower to Queensway Government Offices by ORO staff on December 23, 2024, in the ordinary course of transfer, to comply with the disaster recovery backup procedures. The incident has been reported to the relevant authorities including the Hong Kong Police Force, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data, the Security Bureau and the Digital Policy Office (DPO).
 
     As the magnetic backup tapes are stored in a locked protective case and the data therein is encrypted with AES-256 encryption which is a highly secure encryption algorithm used extensively in government and military applications, as well as by business operating in highly regulated industries. Having consulted the DPO, the ORO considers that the risk of leakage of personal data from the tapes is extremely low. Based on the current investigation, there is no evidence that the data contained on the tapes has been read or compromised. The tapes contained personal data of about 76 000 individuals, including creditors of insolvency cases and serving staff of the ORO. The ORO is sending notifications to the relevant individuals by batch.
                
     The ORO is extremely concerned about the incident and has taken immediate action to review all transit procedures and data protection practices, and has refined the procedures with immediate effect. The ORO is also conducting a thorough investigation into the staff concerned and details of the incident, including the delay in reporting the loss to senior management. Appropriate disciplinary actions will be taken.
 
     The ORO attaches great importance to safeguarding government property and personal privacy and has reminded staff to comply with the departmental guidelines and exercise due care in handling personal data. The ORO will also review all guidelines on data security and examine the adoption of safer and more effective backup methods and procedures.
 
     The ORO expresses sincere apologies for the loss and for the delay in reporting the incident. For enquiries, please call the ORO at 2867 2448 or email to oroadmin@oro.gov.hk. read more

East Asia

Severe case of influenza A infection in unvaccinated infant reported

     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health today (January 27) received a report of a case of severe paediatric influenza A infection in a baby girl who had not yet received the seasonal influenza vaccination (SIV). She is still hospitalised and in serious condition. The CHP urged the public who have not yet received the SIV to act immediately to minimise the risk of serious complications and death after infection.
           
     “The 10 month-old girl with good past health developed a fever, cough and seizure since January 23. She attended the Accident and Emergency Department of United Christian Hospital on the same day and was admitted to the paediatric intensive care unit immediately. Her nasopharyngeal swab specimen tested positive for the influenza A (H1) virus upon laboratory testing. The clinical diagnosis was influenza A infection complicated with encephalitis,” a spokesman for the CHP said.

     The girl had no travel history during the incubation period. One of her household contacts had upper respiratory symptoms prior to her disease onset. An initial investigation revealed that she did not receive 2024/25 SIV. The CHP reiterated its call to the parents to bring their children to receive an SIV as soon as possible.
           
     “Including the above-mentioned baby girl, the CHP has recorded five cases of severe influenza virus infection in children since the start of this influenza season in early January, four of whom were unvaccinated. Influenza vaccination has been scientifically proven to be one of the most effective ways to prevent seasonal influenza and its complications, while significantly reducing the risk of hospitalisation and death from seasonal influenza. All persons aged 6 months and above (except those with known contraindications) who have not yet received SIV should act immediately, particularly the elderly and children who have a higher risk of becoming infected with influenza and developing complications,” the spokesman said.
           
     The spokesman reminded the public that Hong Kong has entered the influenza season. The seasonal influenza activity is expected to increase further while the activity of other respiratory infectious diseases may also increase. To protect their health and that of their family members, the public should not only receive the SIV, but also maintain good personal and environmental hygiene, and take the following measures to prevent contacting influenza and other respiratory illnesses:
 

  • Patients can wear surgical masks to prevent transmission of respiratory viruses. Therefore, it is essential for persons who are symptomatic (even if having mild symptoms) to wear a surgical mask;
  • High-risk persons (e.g. persons with underlying medical conditions or persons who are immunocompromised) should wear surgical masks when visiting public places. The general public should also wear a surgical mask when taking public transport or staying in crowded places. It is important to wear a mask properly, including performing hand hygiene before wearing and after removing a mask;
  • Avoid touching one’s eyes, mouth and nose;
  • Wash hands with liquid soap and water properly whenever possibly contaminated;
  • When hands are not visibly soiled, clean them with 70 to 80 per cent alcohol-based handrub;
  • Cover the mouth and nose with tissue paper when sneezing or coughing. Dispose of soiled tissue paper properly into a lidded rubbish bin, and wash hands thoroughly afterwards;
  • Maintain good indoor ventilation;
  • When having respiratory symptoms, wear a surgical mask, consider refraining from going to work or school, avoid going to crowded places and seek medical advice promptly; and
  • Maintain a balanced diet, perform physical activity regularly, take adequate rest, do not smoke and avoid overstress.

     For the latest information, members of the public can visit the CHP’s seasonal influenza and COVID-19 & Flu Express webpages.  read more

East Asia

Yau Ma Tei Female Social Hygiene Clinic Service adjustment announced

     â€‹The Department of Health (DH) announced today (January 27) that in view of the usage levels of individual clinics and manpower arrangements, and to make more effective use of resources, the service hours of the Yau Ma Tei Female Social Hygiene Clinic will be changed to Tuesdays and Thursdays (except for public holidays) starting from next month (February) until further notice. Affected patients will be informed of the service adjustment to ensure the continuity in patient care.
      
     The adjusted service hours of the Yau Ma Tei Female Social Hygiene Clinic will be as follows:
      
Tuesdays: 2pm to 5.30pm; and
               5.30pm to 8.30pm (this session is limited to old cases only).
Thursdays: 8.45am to 1pm and
                 2pm to 5.30pm
      
     The Social Hygiene Clinics provide medical check-ups and treatment and counselling on sexually transmitted infections. No prior appointments and doctor’s referrals are required. Registration closes an hour before the end of each session. Addresses and service hours of other Female Social Hygiene Clinics under the DH can be found on the DH’s website. read more

East Asia