â€‹The Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau today (July 28) announced the application results of the 12th-round funding exercise of the Arts Capacity Development Funding Scheme (ACDFS). A total of 15 successful applications (13 for Project Grants and 2 for Springboard Grants) will be funded, involving a total amount of around $45.45 million.
      
     A total of 80 applications were received and put forth for assessment in the 12th-round funding exercise. The successful applications are of a high standard, with a diverse representation across genres covering arts education/appreciation/promotion, arts technology, community arts, dance, multi-disciplinary arts, music and theatre.
      
     The successful applicants (categories and names of organisations in alphabetical order) are as follows:
 

* Successful applications for Springboard Grants
Note: The award of grants is subject to the successful applicants' signing of funding agreements with the Government.
 
     Introduced by the Government in 2011, the ACDFS is administered on the advice of the Advisory Committee on Arts Development. Members of the Committee take part in the assessment of applications together with Expert Advisers. The funding scheme aims to provide funding support for innovative and impactful proposals that contribute to the objectives of capacity development, programme/content development, audience building and arts education. It also seeks to provide an avenue of support for large-scale and cross-year arts and cultural initiatives/activities so as to enhance capacity development for promising arts groups and arts practitioners as well as to encourage the community and the private sector to support and sponsor the arts.

     The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (July 28) 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) and 21 as Fair (Grade 2).
 
Grade 1 beaches are:          

 
Grade 2 beaches are:

 
     Compared with the grading released last week, Shek O Beach, Tai Po Lung Mei Beach and Turtle Cove Beach have been upgraded from Grade 2 to Grade 1, and Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach and Ting Kau Beach from Grade 3 to Grade 2. Cafeteria Old Beach and Pui O Beach have been changed from Grade 1 to Grade 2.
 
     "The changes are generally within the normal range of fluctuation of the bacteriological water quality of the beaches," an EPD spokesman said.
 
     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, the 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 storm 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.
 
Note 1: Lifeguard services are provided by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department at 22 gazetted beaches, marked with an asterisk (*) above, from May 1.
 
Note 2: The non-gazetted beach is Discovery Bay which has no lifeguard service.

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     The 70th issue of "HA Risk Alert" was published today (July 28) by the Hospital Authority (HA) as a risk management and communication initiative to further strengthen the reporting and monitoring of clinical incidents in public hospitals.
 
     In the first quarter of 2023 (January to March), six sentinel events were reported, comprising five cases of retained instrument/material after surgery/interventional procedure and one case of inpatient suicide. Among the 22 reported serious untoward events, there were 20 related to medication errors and two patient misidentifications.
 
     "Subsequent to the incident review and analysis of the root causes of these incidents, important lessons for patient safety have been identified, while recommendations are made and shared in this publication to avoid similar events in the future," the HA spokesperson said.
 
     The HA Head Office has released the latest "HA Risk Alert" to all staff. It can also be accessed by the public at www.ha.org.hk/riskalert. "HA Risk Alert" is published on a quarterly basis and posted on the HA website on the last working Friday in the months of January, April, July and October. The next issue is scheduled for October 27, 2023 (Friday).

     The effective exchange rate index for the Hong Kong dollar on Friday, July 28, 2023 is 103.9 (up 0.3 against yesterday's index).

     â€‹Hong Kong Customs seized about 3 000 items of suspected counterfeit goods and about 670 bottles of suspected smuggled nicotine-containing e-cigarette oil, with a total estimated market value of about $4.3 million, at the Shenzhen Bay Control Point on July 13. 

     Through risk assessment, Customs officers intercepted an incoming truck at the Shenzhen Bay Control Point on that day. The batch of suspected counterfeit goods, including mobile phones, clothing, footwear and earphones, and the batch of suspected smuggled nicotine-containing e-cigarette oil were found inside the cargo compartment. A 49-year-old male driver was arrested. 

     An initial investigation revealed that the batch of suspected counterfeit goods and suspected smuggled e-cigarette oil would be transhipped to Taiwan by air. 

     An investigation is ongoing and the arrested man has been released on bail pending further investigation. 

     Hong Kong Customs will continue to strengthen co-operation with the Mainland and overseas law enforcement agencies and take stringent enforcement action against cross-boundary counterfeit goods and smuggling activities involving alternative smoking products.

     Under the Trade Descriptions Ordinance, any person who imports or exports any goods to which a forged trademark is applied commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $500,000 and imprisonment for five years. 

     Under the Import and Export Ordinance, any person who imports an alternative smoking product, including electronic cigarette products, heated tobacco products, herbal cigarettes and any related devices, parts and accessories, commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years.

     Members of the public may report any suspected counterfeiting and smuggling 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).