Hong Kong Customs yesterday (September 19) arrested a male director of a trading company suspected of supplying a water filter cartridge with a false trade description, in contravention of the Trade Descriptions Ordinance (TDO).

     Customs earlier received information alleging that a website was suspected of selling a water filter cartridge that fraudulently claimed to have the relevant water filter quality certification. After investigation, Customs officers mounted an enforcement operation yesterday and raided the trading company operating the website concerned. Twelve water filter cartridges suspected of contravening the TDO were seized. A 70-year-old male director of the company was also arrested.

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

     Customs reminds traders to comply with the requirements of the TDO. Consumers should procure products at reputable shops and should be cautious with online shopping.

     When making online purchases, consumers should pay attention to the goodwill of the online companies or merchants. They are also reminded to contact trademark owners or traders for enquiries in case of doubt.

     Customs has all along been concerned with illegal online sales activities, and appeals to consumers that they should stay vigilant in regard to online shopping. They should not purchase items of unknown sources and unusual prices offered at suspicious websites or social media platforms to prevent any losses that may be incurred.

     Under the TDO, any person who applies a false trade description to goods or supplies goods with a false trade description in the course of trade or business commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $500,000 and imprisonment for five years.

     Members of the public may report any suspected violation of the TDO to Customs' 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk).

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     The Hospital Authority today (September 20) announced information regarding patients who tested positive via admission screening or testing with patients or staff members identified as close contacts and nosocomial COVID-19 infection cases.
 
     The following are the statistics of patients who tested positive via admission screening or by testing in public hospitals with patients or staff members identified as close contacts:
 

 
     In addition, a staff member of a male ward for intellectual disabilities at Castle Peak Hospital tested positive for COVID-19 on September 16. The hospital commenced a contact tracing investigation. Three more male patients tested positive. The hospital is investigating the linkage among the cases concerned. Three patients are being treated in isolation and are in stable condition.
 
     Admission and visiting arrangements for the ward concerned have been suspended. Thorough cleaning and disinfection have been conducted. Testing has been arranged for patients and staff members of the ward concerned. The hospitals will continue to monitor the health condition of patients and staff members, and communicate with the Centre for Health Protection on the latest situation.

     The Task Force on Supplies from the Mainland led by the Transport and Logistics Bureau (TLB) has been working closely with the Guangdong Provincial Government and the Shenzhen Municipal People's Government to explore various means to stabilise the supply of goods from the Mainland to Hong Kong.
 
     A spokesperson for the TLB said that the "Sea Express" water transportation service from the Mainland to Hong Kong has been fully launched and its capacity is rising to increase the supplies of fresh food, other daily necessities and manufacturing materials. The current supply of fresh food from the Mainland is stable.
 
     The spokesperson said today (September 20) that Shenzhen operated 54 cargo vessel trips and transported around 6 090 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of cross-boundary supplies by water yesterday (September 19), equivalent to about 21 230 tonnes of goods, all of which were non-fresh food, according to information from the Mainland authorities.
 
     Since the launch of services from the three ports in Shenzhen since February 18 to yesterday, a total of around 979 750 TEUs of cross-boundary supplies have been transported, equivalent to about 4 658 170 tonnes of goods, of which around 2 330 TEUs (about 19 660 tonnes) were fresh food and around 977 420 TEUs (about 4 638 510 tonnes) were non-fresh food.
 
     Meanwhile, to avoid a spillover of the epidemic, the Transport Department (TD) arranges for dedicated staff to conduct rapid nucleic acid tests, using nasopharyngeal swabs for specimen collection, for cross-boundary goods vehicle drivers at various land boundary control points. Only drivers with a negative result are allowed to enter the Mainland. A total of 3 557 rapid nucleic acid tests were conducted yesterday, among which one case that tested indeterminate was found. The TD has passed the cases to the Department of Health for follow-up.
 
     The TLB will closely monitor the situation and co-operate with the Mainland authorities to facilitate and implement various measures to ensure both smooth cross-boundary land transport and a stable goods supply to Hong Kong, while reducing the risk of epidemic transmission in both the Mainland and Hong Kong.

Attention TV/radio announcers:

Please broadcast the following as soon as possible:

     Here is an item of interest to swimmers.

     The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced today (September 20) that due to big waves, the red flag has been hoisted at Big Wave Bay Beach in Southern District, Hong Kong Island. Beachgoers are advised not to swim at the beach.

     â€‹A spokesman for the Security Bureau (SB) today (September 20) said that one more Hong Kong resident, who sought assistance from the Assistance to Hong Kong Residents Unit of the Immigration Department (ImmD) earlier, has returned to Hong Kong from Thailand safely today with the assistance of the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Chinese Embassy in the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, the Chinese Embassy in the Kingdom of Thailand, the SB's dedicated task force and the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Bangkok. Since the establishment of the SB's dedicated task force, a total of 15 assistance seekers have returned to Hong Kong safely under the task force's co-ordination.

     The spokesman appealed to Hong Kong residents or their family members concerned about missing relatives to contact the ImmD as soon as possible. They may make use of the WhatsApp hotline 5190 8909 dedicated to the matter, call the 24-hour hotline of the Assistance to Hong Kong Residents Unit of the ImmD at (852) 1868, call the 1868 hotline by network data call via the ImmD mobile application or submit an Online Assistance Request Form. Citizens should make a report to the Police as soon as practicable if a scam is suspected. If anyone knows or has received information that there are victims in need of assistance, they should contact the ImmD as soon as possible to secure the safe return of the Hong Kong resident.