The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (July 19) released the latest grading of water quality for 39 gazetted beaches (see Note 1) and one non-gazetted beach (see Note 2).
 
     Nineteen beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1), 18 as Fair (Grade 2), and three as Poor (Grade 3).
 
Grade 1 beaches are:          

 
Grade 2 beaches are:

 
Grade 3 beaches are:

 
     Compared with the grading released last week, Deep Water Bay Beach, Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach, Stanley Main Beach and Tai Po Lung Mei Beach have been upgraded from Grade 2 to Grade 1.
 
     Under the present grading system, beaches are classified into four grades, namely Good (Grade 1), Fair (Grade 2), Poor (Grade 3) and Very Poor (Grade 4), according to the level of E. coli in the water. Grades are calculated on the basis of the geometric mean of the E. coli counts on the five most recent sampling occasions.
 
     While the ratings represent the general water quality at the beaches, an EPD spokesman reminded members of the public that water quality could be temporarily affected during and after periods of heavy rain. Bathers should avoid swimming at beaches for up to three days after a tropical cyclone or heavy rainfall.
 
     A summary of beach grades is published weekly before the weekend. The latest beach grades based on the most current data may be obtained from the EPD's website on Beach Water Quality (www.epd.gov.hk/epd/beach) or the beach hotline, 2511 6666.  Members of the public can also obtain the latest daily water quality forecast information for all beaches that are open for swimming through the Beach Water Quality Forecast mobile application (available for download from: www.epd.gov.hk/en/BWQApp) or the dedicated beach water quality forecast page (www.epd.gov.hk/en/BWQForecast) on the EPD's beach thematic website.
 
Note 1: Lifesaving services are provided by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department at 21 gazetted beaches, marked with an asterisk (*) above, from June 1. Due to the damage caused to the footpaths leading to Chung Hom Kok Beach by landslides, the beach is temporarily closed until further notice. For details, please refer to the Leisure and Cultural Services Department’s Special Announcement (www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/beach/index.html).
 
Note 2: This refers to Discovery Bay Tai Pak Beach which is a non-gazetted beach that has no lifesaving service.

     In response to the Japanese Government's plan to discharge nuclear-contaminated water at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Station, the Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene issued a Food Safety Order which prohibits all aquatic products, sea salt and seaweeds originating from the 10 metropolis/prefectures, namely Tokyo, Fukushima, Ibaraki, Miyagi, Chiba, Gunma, Tochigi, Niigata, Nagano and Saitama, from being imported into and supplied in Hong Kong.
 
     For other Japanese aquatic products, sea salt and seaweeds that are not prohibited from being imported into Hong Kong, the Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department will conduct comprehensive radiological tests to verify that the radiation levels of these products do not exceed the guideline levels before they are allowed to be supplied in the market.
 
     As the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water is unprecedented and will continue for 30 years or more, the Government will closely monitor and step up the testing arrangements. Should anomalies be detected, the Government does not preclude further tightening the scope of the import ban.
 
     From noon on July 18 to noon today (July 19), the CFS conducted tests on the radiological levels of 192 food samples imported from Japan, which were of the "aquatic and related products, seaweeds and sea salt" category. No sample was found to have exceeded the safety limit. Details can be found on the CFS's thematic website titled "Control Measures on Foods Imported from Japan" (www.cfs.gov.hk/english/programme/programme_rafs/programme_rafs_fc_01_30_Nuclear_Event_and_Food_Safety.html).

     In parallel, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) has also tested 50 samples of local catch for radiological levels. All the samples passed the tests. Details can be found on the AFCD's website (www.afcd.gov.hk/english/fisheries/Radiological_testing/Radiological_Test.html).
 
     The Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) has also enhanced the environmental monitoring of the local waters. No anomaly has been detected so far. For details, please refer to the HKO's website
(www.hko.gov.hk/en/radiation/monitoring/seawater.html).
 
     From August 24 to noon today, the CFS and the AFCD have conducted tests on the radiological levels of 69 141 samples of food imported from Japan (including 44 457 samples of aquatic and related products, seaweeds and sea salt) and 16 394 samples of local catch respectively. All the samples passed the tests.

     The effective exchange rate index for the Hong Kong dollar on Friday, July 19, 2024 is 106.3 (up 0.2 against yesterday's index).

     The Office of the Communications Authority (OFCA) today (July 19) published the information memoranda for the auctions of radio spectrum in the 850/900 MHz, 2.3 GHz and 6/7 GHz bands and invited interested parties to submit applications.
 
     A spokesperson for OFCA said, "The Communications Authority (CA) and the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development (SCED) issued joint statements in May last year and March this year, announcing the decisions to assign a total of 510 MHz of spectrum in the aforementioned bands through auction within this year for the provision of public mobile services including the fifth generation (5G) services. The assignment will further promote the development of 5G services in terms of network capacity, service speed and coverage."
 
     The CA will conduct the auction of 110 MHz of re-assigned spectrum in the 850/900 MHz and 2.3 GHz bands on November 11, followed by the auction of 400 MHz of new spectrum in the 6/7 GHz band on November 25. The spectrum will be assigned to the successful bidders under unified carrier licences with a validity period of 15 years. Parties interested in participating in the auctions may submit their applications to OFCA on September 19 and 20.
 
     The SCED has set the auction reserve prices for the use of the aforementioned spectrum, viz. $4 million per MHz for the 850/900 MHz and the 2.3 GHz bands, and $2 million per MHz for the 6/7 GHz band. The actual amount of spectrum utilization fees payable will be determined through the respective auctions.
 
     The spokesperson added, "To prevent over-concentration of spectrum holdings by a single spectrum assignee, the CA has set caps on the amount of spectrum that can be acquired by each assignee in the respective bands, which are 10 MHz for the 850/900 MHz band, 50 MHz for the 2.3 GHz band, and 140 MHz for the 6/7 GHz band."
 
     Detailed arrangements of the auctions are set out in the information memoranda which are available on OFCA's website:
 
For the 850/900 MHz and 2.3 GHz bands:
www.ofca.gov.hk/filemanager/ofca/en/content_1712/850_900_mhz_and_2_3_ghz_bands_auction_IM.pdf

For the 6/7 GHz band:
www.ofca.gov.hk/filemanager/ofca/en/content_1713/6_7_ghz_band_auction_IM.pdf

     The Government announced today (July 19) the following senior appointments:
 
(a) Mrs Angelina Cheung Fung Wing-ping, Deputy Secretary for the Civil Service, will take up the post of Commissioner for Tourism on August 12, 2024; 
 
(b) Mr Aaron Liu Kong-cheung, Deputy Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury (Treasury), will take up the post of Director-General of Trade and Industry on August 19, 2024; and
 
(c) Mr Maurice Loo Kam-wah, Deputy Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury (Treasury), will take up the post of Director of Lands on September 5, 2024.
 
     Commenting on the appointments of Mrs Cheung, Mr Liu and Mr Loo, the Secretary for the Civil Service, Mrs Ingrid Yeung, said, "The appointees are seasoned Administrative Officers with proven leadership and management skills. I have every confidence that they will continue to serve the community with professionalism in their new posts."
 
     Brief biographical notes of the three officers are set out below:
 
Mrs Angelina Cheung Fung Wing-ping
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     Mrs Cheung joined the Administrative Service in September 1992 and rose to the rank of Administrative Officer Staff Grade B1 in April 2022. She has served in a diverse range of bureaux and departments, including the former City and New Territories Administration, the former Economic Services Branch, the former Education and Manpower Branch, the Civil Service Bureau, the Home Affairs Department, the former Food and Health Bureau and the Labour and Welfare Bureau. She was Deputy Secretary for Education from April 2012 to October 2017, Deputy Secretary for Home Affairs from October 2017 to August 2020, and has been serving as Deputy Secretary for the Civil Service since August 2020. 
 
Mr Aaron Liu Kong-cheung
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     Mr Liu joined the Administrative Service in June 1996 and rose to the rank of Administrative Officer Staff Grade B1 in April 2023. He has served in a diverse range of bureaux and departments, including the former Security Branch, the former Industry Department, the former Economic Services Bureau, the Civil Service Bureau and the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau. He was Deputy Commissioner for Tourism from September 2016 to July 2019, Deputy Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury (Financial Services) from August 2019 to July 2022, and has been serving as Deputy Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury (Treasury) since July 2022. 
 
Mr Maurice Loo Kam-wah
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     Mr Loo joined the Administrative Service in July 1996 and rose to the rank of Administrative Officer Staff Grade B1 in April 2022.  He has served in various bureaux and departments, including the former Home Affairs Branch, the former Transport Branch, the Home Affairs Department, the former Planning, Environment and Lands Bureau, the former Environment and Food Bureau, the Civil Service Bureau, the Innovation and Technology Commission, the former Commerce, Industry and Technology Bureau and the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Washington DC. He was Principal Assistant Secretary (Financial Services) from April 2011 to June 2014, Deputy Secretary for Development (Planning and Lands) from July 2015 to August 2020, and has been serving as Deputy Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury (Treasury) since August 2020.