Author Archives: hksar gov

     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) today (July 24) reminded members of the public, particularly those undertaking outdoor activities, to take heed of necessary measures against heat stroke and sunburn in very hot weather.

     “The public should carry and drink plenty of water to prevent dehydration while engaging in outdoor activities,” a spokesman for the CHP said.

     “Those engaged in strenuous outdoor activities should avoid beverages containing caffeine, such as coffee and tea, as well as alcohol, as they speed up water loss through the urinary system,” the spokesman explained.

     “Infants and children, the elderly, pregnant women, those with chronic illnesses such as heart disease or high blood pressure, outdoor/manual workers, and individuals who are overweight are more vulnerable to heat stroke. They should pay special attention,” the spokesman added.

     The public should adopt the following precautions:
 

• Wear loose and light-coloured clothing to reduce heat absorption and facilitate sweat evaporation and heat dissipation;
• Avoid vigorous exercise and prolonged activities like hiking or trekking as heat, sweating and exhaustion can place additional demands on the physique;
• Perform outdoor activities in the morning or the late afternoon, if possible;
• For indoor activities, open all windows, use a fan or use air-conditioning to maintain good ventilation;
• Do not stay inside a parked vehicle; and
• Reschedule work to cooler times of the day if feasible. If working in a hot environment is inevitable, introduce shade in the workplace where practicable. Start work slowly and pick up the pace gradually. Move to a cool area for rest at regular intervals to allow the body to recuperate.

     
     â€‹The public should also note the latest and the forecast Ultraviolet (UV) Index released by the Hong Kong Observatory (HKO). When the UV Index is high (6 or above):
 

• Minimise direct exposure of the skin and the eyes to sunlight;
• Wear long-sleeved and loose-fitting clothes;
• Wear a wide-brimmed hat or use an umbrella;
• Seek a shaded area or put on UV-blocking sunglasses;
• Apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen lotion with a minimum sun protection factor (SPF) of 15, preferably higher. Reapply every two hours if you stay out in the sun, and after swimming, sweating or towelling off; and
• While using DEET-containing insect repellents for personal protection against mosquito-borne diseases, apply sunscreen first, then insect repellent.

    
     â€‹If symptoms develop, such as dizziness, headache, nausea, shortness of breath or confusion, rest and seek help immediately, and seek medical advice as soon as possible.
     
     â€‹The public may obtain more information from the DH’s Health Education Infoline (2833 0111), heat stroke page and UV radiation page; the HKO’s Dial-a-Weather (1878 200), latest weather report and forecast, UV Index and weather information for hiking and mountaineering; and press releases of the Labour Department on precautions against heat stroke for outdoor workers and their employers when the Very Hot Weather Warning is in force. read more

Attention TV/radio announcers: Please broadcast the following as soon as possible:      The Hong Kong Observatory has issued the Very Hot Weather Warning.      To prevent heat stroke, avoid pro… read more

     Three charities have been issued Public Subscription Permits to hold flag sales from 7am to 12.30pm today (July 24). They are, on Hong Kong Island, Riding for the Disabled Association Limited; in Kowloon, the Society for Community Organization Limited; and in the New Territories, Sai Kung District Community Centre, a spokesman for the Social Welfare Department (SWD) said.
      
     Arrangements have been made with the charities to help people to distinguish among the three flag-selling activities.
      
     Information on the three flag-selling organisations on July 24 is as follows:
 

Region	Name of organisation	Colour of collection bag	Colour of flag
Hong Kong Island	Riding for the Disabled Association Limited	Green	Brown
Kowloon	The Society for Community Organization Limited	Purple	Red
New Territories	Sai Kung District Community Centre	Green	Green

 
     Details of the charitable fund-raising activities, including any updated information, covered by the issued Public Subscription Permits have been published on the GovHK website (www.gov.hk/en/theme/fundraising/search). Permits for flag days containing information on contact methods of the flag-selling organisations and the approved flag-selling activities have also been uploaded to the SWD’s website (www.swd.gov.hk/en/ngo/controlofc/flagdays) for reference. For enquiries, please call the SWD’s hotline at 2343 2255, or the designated hotline of the 1823 Call Centre at 3142 2678.
      
     In the case of suspected fraudulent flag day activities, people should not make any donation and should immediately report the matter to the Police, the spokesman added. read more

     The Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, began his visit to Beijing today (July 23) to call on the Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office (HKMAO) of the State Council, Mr Xia Baolong. He also paid visits to the National Financial Regulatory Administration (NFRA) and the Beijing International Data Exchange.

     Mr Chan reported to Director Xia about the overall economic and financial situation of Hong Kong and the work of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government in pursuing economic growth and advancing development under the leadership of the Chief Executive. Such work includes attracting talent and enterprises, expediting the development of “new quality productive forces” through developing innovation and technology, promoting high-quality development, opening new markets, maintaining financial stability, etc. Mr Chan thanked HKMAO of the State Council and Director Xia for their staunch support to reinforcing and enhancing the status of Hong Kong as an international financial centre, and promoting the economic development of Hong Kong. Director Xia fully recognised the work of the HKSAR Government and the team of financial regulators. He said the Central Government is firmly committed to the implementation of the “one country, two systems” principle, supporting Hong Kong in leveraging its own strength to implement the spirit of the Third Plenary Session of 20th Communist Party of China Central Committee, to pool together international top talent, deepen co-operation within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Bay Area (GBA), and play a better role in the country’s opening up to the world. Director Xia encouraged Hong Kong to engage in continuous innovation in such areas as finance, trade, and tourism, to showcase Hong Kong’s unique advantage and glamour, in order to attract more capital, enterprises, talent and tourists to the city.

     The Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Christopher Hui; the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, Mr Eddie Yue; the Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Securities and Futures Commission, Ms Christina Choi and the Chief Executive Officer of the Insurance Authority, Mr Clement Cheung, also joined the meeting and reported their respective areas of work on regulation and market development.

     In the afternoon, Mr Chan and the group met with the Minister of the NFRA, Mr Li Yunze, and discussed the economic development and financial situation of the Mainland and Hong Kong. They also exchanged views on the supervision and co-ordinated development in various financial areas such as banking, securities, asset and wealth management, insurance and pension finance, and expediting financial co-operation in the GBA. At the meeting, Mr Chan expressed his gratitude to the NFRA for its ongoing support to Hong Kong’s development as an international financial centre, deepening the mutual access between capital markets of Mainland and Hong Kong, and mutual co-operation in insurance and other areas. With the concerted efforts of the regulators and the industry of the Mainland and Hong Kong, Hong Kong will be able to play an even greater role in the high-quality opening up of the country and make greater contributions to the building of a strong financial country.

     In the afternoon, Mr Chan also visited the Beijing International Data Exchange to gain an in-depth understanding of its development in data trading business. Mr Chan said Hong Kong is actively studying how to develop a robust data trading ecosystem to fully leverage on the potential of data as a factor of production. This will be conductive to the development of the data industry, and will help nurture new industries in Hong Kong and upgrade traditional sectors. He was pleased to note that a Memorandum of Understanding between the Exchange and the Hong Kong Cyberport had been signed to explore co-operation on data infrastructure, flow of data, etc.

     Mr Chan will continue his visit to Beijing tomorrow (July 24).

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     â€‹The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Development Office (GBA Office) of the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) co-organised the “GoGBA Sector Series: GoGBA Seminar for Legal Sector” today (July 23) to explore how Hong Kong’s legal services talents and enterprises can contribute to and benefit from the high-quality development of the Greater Bay Area (GBA), and make good use of the facilitation policies and measures provided by different cities of the GBA to develop their businesses in the region.

     In her opening address at the event, the Commissioner for the Development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Ms Maisie Chan, stated that the resolution adopted at the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China emphasised enabling the GBA to better play its role as engine of high-quality development, supporting Hong Kong and Macao in building themselves into international hubs for high-caliber talents, as well as improving relevant mechanisms for Hong Kong and Macao to play a greater role in the opening up of the country. At present, the GBA has entered a new phase of accelerated development with greater breadth and depth. The development of the GBA is set to bring more room for the development of Hong Kong professional services. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government will adopt a more in-depth approach and focus on exploring how talents and enterprises of different industries, including the legal profession, can capitalise on the significant opportunities brought about by the GBA, and at the same time help promote the high-quality development of the GBA.

     Ms Chan added that under “one country, two systems”, Hong Kong is the only common law jurisdiction within the country and a leading centre for international legal and dispute resolution services in the Asia-Pacific region, and has been well-trusted by international business communities and investors. In April this year, the Department of Justice (DoJ) released for the first time the “Action Plan on the Construction of Rule of Law in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area”, which sets forth the guiding principle of “Three Interfaces, Two Connects and One GBA”, promoting the interfaces of mechanisms, regulatory frameworks and talents, thereby enabling the GBA to capitalise on its unique strengths under “one country, two systems and three jurisdictions”. Hong Kong’s legal profession can play a crucial role in the high-quality development of the GBA.

     At today’s seminar, leaders from the Justice Bureau, Nansha District of Guangzhou, and the Qianhai Authority of Shenzhen were invited as guests to introduce the facilitation policies and measures for the legal services industry in Nansha and Qianhai respectively. During the panel discussion, a number of legal professionals from Hong Kong and Guangzhou shared their views on the unique advantages enjoyed by Hong Kong’s legal professionals in GBA development, the demand for Hong Kong’s legal services by Mainland enterprises, as well as the strategies for developing business in the GBA.

     The “GoGBA Sector Series” is a joint initiative of the GBA Office and HKTDC, which aims to provide more specific, in-depth and targeted information and support to the industry. In addition to keynote speeches and panel discussions, small group advisory workshops and one-on-one consultation services were also arranged at the seminar, where experts answered questions and offered advice on the development of the Hong Kong’s legal profession in the Mainland cities of the GBA. Furthermore, the DoJ and HKTDC will jointly organise a trade mission to visit Shenzhen and Foshan from August 6 to 8, to learn about the latest development of the legal profession in the GBA, and to promote further exchanges as well as mutual co-operation.

     For more information about the GBA, please visit the dedicated website (www.bayarea.gov.hk/en), which also covers the content of the Greater Bay Area Information Station (www.bayarea.gov.hk/gbais/en) for easy browsing by members of the public.

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