Author Archives: hksar gov

     â€‹Hong Kong Customs on August 22 and yesterday (August 23) detected two dangerous drugs cases at Hong Kong International Airport and Ma On Shan and seized a total of about 30 kilograms of suspected cannabis buds and about 1.2kg of suspected cocaine, with a total estimated market value of about $8.14 million.  

     In the first case, through risk assessment, Customs on August 22 inspected a batch of air cargo consignment declared as carrying down jackets and arriving in Hong Kong from the United States. Upon inspection, Customs officers found that nine out of 19 carton boxes concealed a total of about 30kg of suspected cannabis buds. The estimated market value of the drugs was about $7.2 million. 

     After a follow-up investigation, Customs officers yesterday mounted controlled delivery operations in Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminals and San Po Kong, and arrested two men, aged 43 and 42, suspected to be connected with the case.

     In the second case, during an anti-narcotics operation conducted in the vicinity of Ma On Shan at nightfall yesterday, Customs officers intercepted a 22-year-old man and a 19-year-old woman. About 1.2kg of suspected cocaine with an estimated market value of about $940,000 was found inside a recycle bag carried by the man. The duo was then arrested.

     Investigations of the two cases are ongoing. The likelihood of further arrests is not ruled out.

     Customs reminds members of the public to stay alert and not to participate in drug trafficking activities for monetary return. They must not accept hiring or delegation from another party to carry controlled items in and out of Hong Kong. They are also reminded not to carry unknown items for other people. Young people should especially pay attention to the fact that drug trafficking is a serious criminal offence. Criminal conviction will result in grave repercussions for their future and they should not take risks in the hope that they will not be caught.

     Under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, trafficking in a dangerous drug is a serious offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $5 million and life imprisonment.

     Members of the public may report any suspected drug trafficking activities to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002/).

read more

     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health today (August 24) announced that according to the latest surveillance data, local seasonal influenza activity has continued to increase in the past week and exceeded the seasonal epidemic threshold, indicating that Hong Kong has entered the summer influenza season. All sectors of the community should heighten their vigilance and enhance personal protection measures against influenza.

     From the latest surveillance data, the overall local seasonal influenza activity has increased since July. Among the respiratory specimens received by the CHP’s Public Health Laboratory Services Branch and the Hospital Authority, the latest weekly percentage of detections testing positive for seasonal influenza viruses was 9.83 per cent during the week ending August 19. The predominating circulating viruses were influenza A(H3).

     The overall admission rate with principal diagnosis of influenza in public hospitals was 0.43 per 10 000 population for the same week. Separately, there were seven institutional influenza-like illness outbreaks reported to the CHP affecting 40 persons in the week ending August 19. The seven outbreaks included two in kindergartens/child care centres, three in residential care homes for the elderly and two in residential care homes for persons with disabilities.

     A spokesman for the CHP said that seasonal influenza vaccination (SIV) is one of the effective means to prevent seasonal influenza and its complications, as well as reducing influenza-related hospitalisation and death. The Government has rolled out in phases various SIV programmes since September last year to provide eligible members of the public with free or subsidised SIV. The various vaccination programmes in the 2022/23 season will end on August 31 whereas the SIV programmes in the next season will be launched from end-September onwards.

     The spokesman appealed to those who have yet received SIV this season to get vaccinated as soon as possible, particularly persons at higher risk of getting influenza and its complications, including the elderly and children. All persons aged 6 months or above, except those with known contraindications, are recommended to receive SIV for personal protection. Strict personal, hand and environmental hygiene should also be observed at all times for those who could not receive SIV on or before August 31. They should seek medical advice promptly if they develop respiratory infection symptoms.

     As of August 20, about 1.56 million doses of SIV had been administered via the Government Vaccination Programme, the Vaccination Subsidy Scheme and the Seasonal Influenza Vaccination School Outreach (Free of Charge) Programme 2022/23, representing a roughly 25 per cent rise over the same period in 2021/22 season. The influenza vaccination coverage rate for the elderly aged 65 or above was about 48 per cent whereas that for toddlers and adolescents aged 6 months to below 18 years was about 40 per cent.

     The CHP will issue letters to doctors, hospitals, institutions and schools to appeal for heightened vigilance and appropriate actions. Classes will soon be resumed after summer holidays. To prevent transmission of influenza in school environments, schools are reminded to take additional measures, including actively checking the body temperature of all students every day when they arrive at school to identify those with fever. Those with fever, regardless of having respiratory symptoms or not, should not attend school. In addition, staff of schools and institutions should be alert to their own conditions every day and should refrain from work if they have fever or respiratory symptoms. Schools should promptly make a report to the CHP in the case of an increase in fever or respiratory illnesses or absenteeism for epidemiological investigations. Those who have plans to travel abroad are also reminded to pay special attention to the influenza situations of their travel destinations before departure and strengthen personal protection.

     The public should maintain good personal and environmental hygiene against influenza and other respiratory illnesses and note the following:
 

• Surgical masks can prevent transmission of respiratory viruses from ill persons. It is essential for persons who are symptomatic (even if having mild symptoms) to wear a surgical mask;
• For high-risk persons (e.g. persons with underlying medical conditions or persons who are immunocompromised), 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, refrain from work or attending classes at 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.

     â€‹For the latest information on influenza activity, please visit the CHP’s influenza page and COVID-19 & Flu Express. As for vaccination, the public may visit the CHP’s Vaccination Schemes page. read more

     The Secretary for Justice, Mr Paul Lam, SC, led a delegation from Hong Kong’s legal and dispute resolution sector, which comprised more than 100 representatives from the Hong Kong Bar Association, the Law Society of Hong Kong and enterprises as well as other representatives, to attend the sixth Hong Kong Legal Services Forum today (August 24) in Chengdu. Organised by the Department of Justice (DoJ) and co-organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, the Forum aims to promote Hong Kong’s legal and dispute resolution services, and further consolidate Hong Kong’s strategic positioning as a centre for international legal and dispute resolution services in the Asia-Pacific region under the National 14th Five-Year Plan.

     Entitled “Sichuan, Chongqing and Hong Kong Join Hands for a Brighter Future”, the Hong Kong Legal Services Forum this year explored various legal matters concerning Sichuan and Chongqing enterprises on international trade and foreign investment, and also introduced to the audience Hong Kong’s international legal and dispute resolution services. Supported by the People’s Government of Sichuan Province, the Chongqing Municipal People’s Government, the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Offices of the Sichuan Province and of the Chongqing Municipal People’s Government, the legal, commercial and intellectual properties departments and local lawyers associations, as well as a number of chambers of commerce, the Forum attracted more than 1 000 local legal practitioners and trade representatives.

     In his opening address, Mr Lam said that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government and the People’s Government of Sichuan Province signed the “Co-operation Memorandum of the High-Level Meeting cum the Second Plenary Session of the Hong Kong/Sichuan Co-operation Conference” in September 2021 to promote co-operation between the two places in the area of legal professional services, encourage greater business collaboration between law firms in Hong Kong and Sichuan, and support the mutual training and exchange of legal professionals of the two places. The memorandum also stated that the Department of Justice and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council shall co-organise the Hong Kong Legal Services Forum in Sichuan at an appropriate time. Today’s event was the implementation of the commitment made between the two places back then.

     It was followed by the two plenary sessions and the breakout sessions on demonstrating effective dispute resolution by mediation and arbitration through the staging of mock mediation and arbitration, where more than 30 leaders of Hong Kong’s legal and dispute resolution sector shared their insights.

     The Hong Kong Legal Services Forum has been held by the DoJ on a biennial basis in different Mainland cities since 2010. The Forum, resumed for the first time after the pandemic, has been held in Shanghai, Guangzhou, Qingdao and Nanjing to promote Hong Kong’s international legal and dispute resolution services to enterprises and other service users on the Mainland.

     In addition, Mr Lam and his delegation visited Tianfu Central Legal Services District (CLD) after arriving in Chengdu yesterday (August 23). Tianfu CLD is the first modern central legal services district promoted at a provincial level in the country. The regulation on Sichuan Tianfu New Area promulgated in July this year has expressed clear support for the CLD to develop commercial arbitration, mediation, and foreign related legal services and explore the establishment of a multi-mechanism for commercial dispute resolution, as well as full support for China and foreign legal service bodies, including those from Hong Kong, to commence relevant businesses in Tianfu New Area.

     Mr Lam will depart for Beijing tonight to attend the seminar on the legal challenges and coping strategies under the Belt and Road Initiative tomorrow (August 25).

read more

     Mr Frederick Yu will assume the post of District Officer (Sha Tin) tomorrow (August 25), succeeding Miss Carol Or.      Mr Yu joined the Administrative Service in 2004. He has served in various bureaux, i… read more

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 Hang Seng Bank, Limited relating to a fraudulent website and phishing emails, which have been reported to the HKMA. A hyperlink to the press release is available on the HKMA website.
      
     The HKMA wishes to remind the public that banks will not send SMS or emails with embedded hyperlinks which direct them to the banks’ websites to carry out transactions. They will not ask customers for sensitive personal information, such as login passwords or one-time password, by phone, email or SMS (including via embedded hyperlinks).
      
     Anyone who has provided his or her personal information, or who has conducted any financial transactions, through or in response to the website or emails concerned, should contact the bank using the contact information provided in the press release, and report the matter to the Police by contacting the Crime Wing Information Centre of the Hong Kong Police Force at 2860 5012. read more