Author Archives: hksar gov

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, internet banking login screen 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, login screen 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

     A man who went missing in Mong Kok has been located.      Kwan Tsan-sang, aged 82, went missing after he was last seen at the junction of Nathan Road and Shantung Street on August 7 night. His f… read more

     The Secretary for Housing, Ms Winnie Ho, visited Macao today (August 15) to exchange views with government officials of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR), including the Secretary for Transport and Public Works, Mr Raimundo Arrais do Rosário, on public housing system and policies, overall planning of Macao and progress of public works projects, as well as inspecting housing and urban development projects in Macao. Members of the delegation included the Chairman of the Hong Kong Housing Society (HKHS), Professor Walter Chan; the Vice-Chairman of the HKHS, Professor Ling Kar-kan; the Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of the HKHS, Mr James Chan, and representatives of the Housing Department.

     Ms Ho and other members of the delegation visited the Economic Housing exhibition area of the New Urban Zone Area A. They met with Mr Raimundo Arrais do Rosário and representatives of the transport and public works sectors to learn about the five-tier system for housing provision of the Macao SAR Government. The delegation also inspected the Economic Housing exhibition area of the New Urban Zone Area A located in Mong-Há, a temporary housing project of the Macau Urban Renewal Limited, the Elderly Housing exhibition area, as well as Economic Housing and Social Housing projects. Ms Ho noted that Macao has been implementing a five-tier system for housing provision, which included Social Housing, Economic Housing, Sandwich Class Housing, Elderly Housing and Private Housing. She also shared Hong Kong’s efforts in enriching the housing ladder and increasing housing supply.

     The delegation later toured the Economic Housing exhibition area of New Urban Zone Area A. New Urban Zone Area A is a new reclamation area adjacent to the Zhuhai-Macao Artificial Island of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, which mainly provides Economic Housing to alleviate the housing needs of low-income families.  

     In addition, Ms Ho visited the Elderly Housing exhibition area and a temporary housing project of the Macau Urban Renewal Limited, and shared experiences of building an age-friendly community, as well as the opportunities and challenges in urban redevelopment.

     Ms Ho also visited the Social Housing units in Toi San and Economic Housing units of Edifício do Bairro da Ilha Verde to inspect their ancillary facilities, and to get an understanding of the daily lives of the residents. Ms Ho remarked that each of the housing projects in Macao has its target. Ms Ho said she hopes that the visit will help strengthen the exchange in housing between the two places to improve housing policies for the betterment of livelihood of the citizens.

     Ms Ho will return to Hong Kong today after the visit.

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     The Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, visited the Lam Tin Maternal and Child Health Centre (MCHC) and the Lam Tin Student Health Service Centre (SHSC) under the Department of Health (DH) this afternoon (August 15) to inspect their operations, including that of the health services for infants, school children and women.

     Accompanied by the Director of Health, Dr Ronald Lam, Professor Lo and the Under Secretary for Health, Dr Libby Lee, first visited the MCHC to learn more about the services provided by the DH’s Family Health Service (including child health, maternal health, family planning, cervical screening and women health services). They then visited the SHSC and received a briefing by staff members on the annual health assessment services offered to students. While certain student health services were suspended earlier due to the COVID-19 epidemic, the DH announced yesterday (August 14) that the annual health assessment services for all grades of primary and secondary school students will be resumed during the school year 2023/24.

     Professor Lo said, “Health is of the utmost importance to children’s growth and development. The MCHCs and the SHSCs run comprehensive health surveillance and disease prevention services for infants and school children according to their needs at different stages, thereby safeguarding our next generation and enabling them to grow up healthily and happily.

     “Meanwhile, the DH provides a wide range of health services to support the needs of women at different stages of lives and in various roles, especially those women in their antenatal and postnatal periods. I note in particular that multiple breastfeeding-friendly measures were launched in the MCHC to ensure that lactating mothers can receive all the necessary support.”

     The DH’s Family Health Service offers health promotion and disease prevention services for infants and children from birth to 5 years old as well as women aged 64 or below at its MCHCs and Woman Health Centres. Services for children include immunisation, health and developmental surveillance and parenting programmes, whereas those for women range from prenatal and postnatal as well as cervical screening to family planning and women health. Meanwhile, the DH’s Student Health Service aims to safeguard both the physical and the psychological well-being of students through health promotion and disease prevention services. Meeting the health needs of students at various stages of development, the SHSCs’ free annual health assessment services for the eligible enrolled primary and secondary school students cover physical examination, screening for vision, hearing, psychological health and behaviours, etc, as well as individual health counselling and health education.

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    The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health is today (August 15) closely monitoring three plague cases in Xilin Gol Meng, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

     According to the Health Commission in Sonid Right Banner, Xilin Gol Meng, a female patient was diagnosed with plague on August 7. Her husband and daughter were also subsequently confirmed to have plague on August 12.

     A spokesman for the CHP said, “Plague is transmitted from an infected animal (mainly rodents) to humans through the bite of its fleas. Plague can also be contracted when cuts or other breaks in the skin come into contact with the body fluids or tissue of infected animals. Consumption of infected animal tissue and inhalation of infected respiratory droplets are also possible modes of transmission.”

     The spokesman reminded travellers to avoid visiting plague-endemic areas. They should also heighten vigilance on rodents and prevent flea bites. Insect repellents against mosquitoes may equally prevent flea bites and deter blood-sucking insects. Formulations in lotions or sprays should contain DEET, IR3535 or icaridin (also known as picaridin) as active ingredients. The public should refer to the CHP’s tips for using insect repellents.

     “Travellers returning from affected areas with a sudden onset of fever, shaking chills, body pains or chest discomfort should seek medical advice as soon as possible and reveal their travel history for prompt investigation and management. Plague is a statutorily notifiable disease and doctors should report suspected or confirmed cases to the CHP for investigation and control,” the spokesman added.

     Travellers should take heed of the health advice below during travel:
 

• Prevent flea bites by wearing long-sleeved shirts and trousers, and applying insect repellent/insecticide. DEET-containing insect repellent can be applied to exposed skin and clothing, while insecticide containing permethrin can be applied to clothing, not the skin;
• Avoid going to rural areas, camping or hunting;
• Never eat or touch rodents, dead animals and their tissue or contaminated materials;
• Avoid close contact with patients, especially those with cough or chest infection;
• Avoid going to crowded areas;
• Seek medical care immediately in case of a sudden onset of fever, chills, painful lymph nodes, difficulty in breathing with coughing and/or blood-tainted sputum; and
• Consult a doctor immediately after contact or exposure to pneumonic plague patients or high-risk exposure, such as bites from fleas or direct contact with body fluids or tissue of potentially infected animals, for prompt assessment of the need for preventive medication.

     Travellers may visit the CHP’s plague page, Travel Health News and the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department’s advice on rodent control for details. read more