â€‹The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, led a Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) delegation and arrived in Jakarta, Indonesia, today (July 25). He met with the President of Indonesia, Mr Joko Widodo, and the Secretary-General of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Dr Kao Kim Hourn, respectively to exchange views on strengthening connections with Indonesia and ASEAN member states.
      
     In the morning, Mr Lee met with the President of Indonesia, Mr Joko Widodo. Mr Lee said that Hong Kong and Indonesia have always maintained close bilateral trade and investment relations, with Hong Kong being a top-three source of foreign investment of Indonesia. He thanked Indonesia for supporting Hong Kong's accession request to the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and expressed his hope for further strengthening co-operation between Hong Kong and Indonesia in various aspects such as trade, investment, finance, innovation and technology as well as culture and tourism.
      
     Afterwards, Mr Lee attended a luncheon hosted by the Charge d'Affaires ad Interim and Minister of the Chinese Embassy in Indonesia, Mr Zhou Kan. Mr Lee thanked the Embassy for its support to the HKSAR Government's work, and expressed his hope to strengthen high-level connections with the Indonesian Government and promote Hong Kong's advantages and latest developments to the local business community through this visit.
      
     In the afternoon, Mr Lee met with the Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr Kao Kim Hourn. Mr Lee said that Hong Kong attaches great importance to its close trade and economic ties with ASEAN, noting that ASEAN has long been Hong Kong's second-largest trading partner, with a total merchandise trade between Hong Kong and ASEAN reaching an all-time high of US$165 billion last year. With the full entry into force of the Free Trade Agreement and the related Investment Agreement between Hong Kong and ASEAN in 2021, the trade and economic ties between Hong Kong and ASEAN have been elevated to a higher level. Mr Lee also expressed his gratitude to ASEAN member states for supporting Hong Kong's accession to the RCEP, and looked forward to maintaining communication with the ASEAN Secretariat on relevant issues.
      
     Mr Lee will continue his visit programme in Jakarta tomorrow (July 26).

              

     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) said today (July 25) that it is investigating two confirmed Mpox (also known as Monkeypox) cases, and urged the public to heighten vigilance and avoid close physical contact with persons suspected of contracting Mpox. Meanwhile, high-risk target groups are advised to receive Mpox vaccination.

     The first case involves a 32-year-old male patient with good past health. He had developed a rash, vesicles and lymphadenopathy since July 17 and later fever, a headache and myalgia since July 20 on the Mainland. He arrived in Hong Kong on July 23 and visited Queen Elizabeth Hospital on the same day. According to information provided by the patient and an initial investigation, he does not reside in Hong Kong and he had high-risk exposures amid his visit to Italy and France during the incubation period.

     The second case involves another 32-year-old male patient with good past health. He had developed lymphadenopathy since July 21 and a rash since July 22. He visited a private doctor and Tin Shui Wai Hospital yesterday (July 24) and was referred to Tuen Mun Hospital on the same day. An initial investigation revealed that he had high-risk exposure in Hong Kong during the incubation period.

     The CHP's Public Health Laboratory Services Branch confirmed that their samples tested positive for the virus last night and today respectively. They are still hospitalised and are both in stable condition. The CHP has yet identified epidemiological linkages between these two cases. No epidemiological linkages between these two cases and other confirmed cases recorded in Hong Kong earlier have been found so far either. The CHP's epidemiological investigations of the cases are ongoing, including contact tracing and an infection source investigation. The CHP will report the cases to the World Health Organization and the relevant authority of the Mainland.

     The CHP had earlier set up an Mpox telephone hotline (2125 2373). The hotline operates from Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays) from 9am to 5pm, which enables those who suspect or are concerned they have had high-risk contact with confirmed patients, in particular men who have sex with men or those who have sexual practices with strangers, to make enquiries and receive relevant health advice. Meanwhile, the CHP reminds the public, especially those subject to high risks of exposure, to take precautions and avoid close physical contact with persons or animals suspected of infection. They should seek medical attention as soon as possible if they experience relevant symptoms, including rash, fever, chills, swollen lymph nodes, exhaustion, muscle pain, and severe headaches.

     The CHP reminds members of the public that Mpox is not transmitted through respiratory droplets or aerosols in general, and transmission would not occur through social contact. Proper personal and hand hygiene can help prevent getting infected via contact.

     The Government has activated the Alert level of the preparedness and response plan for the disease in September last year and will continue to assess the risk in view of the latest scientific evidence and situation, and implement corresponding control measures.

     The Mpox vaccination programme for high-risk groups commenced on October 5 last year. Under the programme, the following high-risk target groups can receive Mpox vaccination on a voluntary basis:
 

1. Individuals with high-risk sexual practices, e.g. having multiple sexual partners, sex workers, or having a history of sexually transmitted infection within the past 12 months;
2. Healthcare workers responsible for caring of patients with confirmed Mpox;
3. Laboratory personnel working with zoonotic pox viruses; and
4. Animal care personnel with high risk of exposure in case of Mpox occurrence in animals in Hong Kong.

     Currently, high-risk target groups can receive Mpox walk-in vaccinations at any one of the DH's six Social Hygiene Service Clinics (SocHS) (namely Wan Chai Male SocHS, Wan Chai Female SocHS, Yau Ma Tei Male SocHS, Yung Fung Shee SocHS, Fanling SocHS and Tuen Mun SocHS). Further information of the clinics including their locations is available at www.dh.gov.hk/english/tele/tele_chc/tele_chc_shcf.html and www.dh.gov.hk/english/tele/tele_chc/tele_chc_shcm.html.

     Meanwhile, the DH's Integrated Treatment Centre in Kowloon Bay, and the Hospital Authority's Special Medical Clinics at Queen Elizabeth Hospital and Princess Margaret Hospital will continue to provide Mpox vaccination services for their clients.

     â€‹For more details, please visit the CHP's page on Mpox.

     A send-off ceremony for the Young Astronaut Training Camp 2023 was held at the Hong Kong Space Museum today (July 25). Thirty selected local secondary students will set off for Beijing on July 29 for an eight-day training programme.
      
     Addressing the send-off ceremony, the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, said that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government is fully committed to implementing the strategy of invigorating the country through science and education. More internship and training opportunities are provided to help build a solid foundation of knowledge for the youth to participate in the field of innovation and technology, and unleash their potential to make contributions to Hong Kong as well as to the nation.
      
     Launched in 2009, the Young Astronaut Training Camp has been held for 12 years and a total of 330 students participated in the programme. This year's training camp is the first one since the pandemic started in 2019. Recruitment of the training camp started in May and has received overwhelming responses. After three rounds of selection, which included a quiz on astronomy and space science, a three-day pre-camp training and an interview, 30 students of Secondary 2 to Secondary 6 were selected as Young Astronauts out of more than 160 applicants from around 100 local secondary schools.
      
     The training camp will run from July 29 to August 5. In addition to visiting key science research and education facilities as well as understanding more about the development and achievements of China's exploration of the Moon and planet Mars, students of the training camp will meet aerospace experts to learn of the development of China's aerospace programmes and appreciate the indomitable spirit of Chinese astronauts. The camp aims to broaden the knowledge of the students about the latest technological development of the country and nurture the future research and development talent for Hong Kong.
      
     Other officiating guests today included the Acting Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Mr Raistlin Lau; the Chairman of the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce, Dr Jonathan Choi; the Director of Leisure and Cultural Services, Mr Vincent Liu; the President of the Beijing-Hong Kong Academic Exchange Centre, Mr Hsu Hoi-shan; Vice-Chairman of the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce Mr Ricky Tsang; and the Museum Director of the Hong Kong Science Museum, Mr Lawrence Lee.
      
     The training camp is jointly presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department and the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce in association with the Beijing-Hong Kong Academic Exchange Centre. The training camp is implemented by the Hong Kong Space Museum and sponsored by the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce.
      
     For details of the training camp, please visit the website of the Hong Kong Space Museum at hk.space.museum/en/web/spm/activities/yatc.html or call 2734 2765.

        

     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health is today (July 25) investigating a case of Legionnaires' disease (LD), and stressed the importance of using and maintaining properly designed man-made water systems, and that susceptible groups should strictly observe relevant precautions.

     The male patient, aged 95 with underlying illnesses, lives in a residential care home for the elderly (RCHE) in Eastern District. He has developed fever, cough and shortness of breath since July 21 and was admitted to Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital on the same day for treatment. The clinical diagnosis was pneumonia. He is currently in stable condition.

     The patient's urine sample tested positive for Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 antigen upon laboratory testing.

     Initial enquiries revealed that the patient had no travel history during the incubation period.

     "Epidemiological investigations with the RCHE are ongoing to identify potential sources of infection, high-risk exposure and clusters, if any. Relevant water samples and environmental swabs will be collected from potential sources for testing," a spokesman for the CHP said.

     Tracing of contacts including staff and residents in the RCHE where the patient stayed is ongoing and those identified will be put under medical surveillance. The CHP has provided health advice against LD to staff and residents, including those with weakened immunity who should use sterile or boiled water for drinking, tooth brushing and mouth rinsing.

     Legionellae are found in various environmental settings and grow well in warm water (20 to 45 degrees Celsius). They can be found in aqueous environments such as water tanks, hot and cold water systems, cooling towers, whirlpools and spas, water fountains and home apparatus which support breathing. People may become infected when they breathe in contaminated droplets (aerosols) and mist generated by artificial water systems, or when handling garden soil, compost and potting mixes.

     Immunocompromised persons should: 

• Use sterile or boiled water for drinking, tooth brushing and mouth rinsing;
• Avoid using humidifiers, or other mist- or aerosol-generating devices. A shower may also generate small aerosols; and
• If using humidifiers, or other mist- or aerosol-generating devices, fill the water tank with only sterile or cooled freshly boiled water, and not water directly from the tap. Also, clean and maintain humidifiers/devices regularly according to manufacturers' instructions. Never leave stagnant water in a humidifier/device. Empty the water tank, wipe all surfaces dry, and change the water daily.

     The public should observe the health advice below: 

• Observe personal hygiene;
• Do not smoke and avoid alcohol consumption;
• Strainers in water taps and shower heads should be inspected, cleaned, descaled and disinfected regularly or at a frequency recommended by the manufacturer;
• If a fresh-water plumbing system is properly maintained, it is not necessary to install domestic water filters. Use of water filters is not encouraged as clogging occurs easily, which can promote growth of micro-organisms. In case water filters are used, the pore size should be 0.2 micrometres (µm) and the filter needs to be changed periodically according to the manufacturer's recommendations;
• Drain and clean water tanks of buildings at least quarterly;
• Drain or purge for at least one minute infrequently used water outlets (e.g. water taps, shower heads and hot water outlets) and stagnant points of the pipework weekly or before use;
• Seek and follow doctors' professional advice regarding the use and maintenance of home respiratory devices and use only sterile water (not distilled or tap water) to clean and fill the reservoir. Clean and maintain the device regularly according to the manufacturer's instructions. After cleaning/disinfection, rinse the device with sterile water, cooled freshly boiled water or water filtered with 0.2 µm filters. Never leave stagnant water in the device. Empty the water tank, keep all surfaces dry, and change the water daily; and
• When handling garden soil, compost and potting mixes:

1. Wear gloves and a face mask;
2. Water gardens and compost gently using low pressure;
3. Open composted potting mixes slowly and make sure the opening is directed away from the face;
4. Wet the soil to reduce dust when potting plants; and
5. Avoid working in poorly ventilated places such as enclosed greenhouses.

     The public may visit the CHP's LD page, the Code of Practice for Prevention of LD and the Housekeeping Guidelines for Cold and Hot Water Systems for Building Management of the Prevention of LD Committee, and the CHP's risk-based strategy for prevention and control of LD. 

The following is issued on behalf of the Transport Advisory Committee:

     The Transport Complaints Unit (TCU) of the Transport Advisory Committee received 9 798 complaints and suggestions in the first quarter of 2023, with 352 being pure suggestions. 

     The complaints and suggestions received during the quarter were mostly related to public transport services (88 per cent), enforcement matters (8 per cent) and traffic conditions (2 per cent).
     â€‹
     The number of cases on public transport services increased from 8 441 in the previous quarter to 8 680 this quarter, while that on illegal parking and other enforcement matters decreased from 1 459 to 778. The number of complaints and suggestions on traffic conditions increased from 207 to 254, while that on road maintenance increased from 40 to 53. 

     All the complaints and suggestions received by the TCU in the quarter were referred to the relevant government departments and public transport operators for follow-up action.

     During the period under review, investigations into 8 114 cases were completed. Of these, 6 721 cases (82 per cent) were found to be substantiated, 19 cases (less than 1 per cent) were unsubstantiated, and the remaining 1 374 cases (17 per cent) could not be pursued due to lack of evidence. 

     For the substantiated cases, the relevant government departments and public transport operators have either taken steps to rectify the situation or are considering possible solutions to the problems identified. Among these cases, 56 drivers were summonsed by the Police.

     During the quarter, the relevant government departments and public transport operators took on board 12 suggestions made by the public to enhance public transport services and improve traffic conditions. A summary of the cases is in the Appendix.

     Members of the public may make their suggestions or complaints to the TCU by dialling the hotline 2889 9999 (voice mail service is available outside office hours), by fax to 2577 1858, by email to info@tcu.gov.hk or by filling in a form on the TCU website (www.tcu.gov.hk).