The Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong, and Member of the Standing Committee of the Shenzhen Municipal Committee of the Chinese Communist Party Mr Zeng Pai, co-chaired the ninth meeting of the Joint Task Force on the Development of the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park in the Loop via video conferencing today (August 25).
      
     Both sides received a briefing on the work progress of the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park Limited, the supporting infrastructure in the Lok Ma Chau Loop and the promotion of innovation and technology (I&T) co-operation between Shenzhen and Hong Kong. Representatives from the Shenzhen Municipal Government also introduced the latest developments of the Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Zone and exchanged views on the future development of the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Innovation and Technology Co-operation Zone.
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     Professor Sun said at the meeting that President Xi Jinping's inspection of the Hong Kong Science Park earlier demonstrated the importance attached to and acknowledgement placed on Hong Kong's I&T development by the country as well as the expectation of Hong Kong contributing to the country's development in science and technology. The Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park (the Park) is a highlight of infrastructure for Hong Kong's future I&T development. The current-term Government will put the Park into operation as soon as possible with unprecedented "Hong Kong speed", and actively promote the development of the San Tin Technopole in the Northern Metropolis. The San Tin Technopole will collaborate with the Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Zone to develop the Shenzhen-Hong Kong I&T Co-operation Zone with a view to establishing "one zone, two parks" at "one river, two banks" under the auspices of "one country, two systems". The Shenzhen-Hong Kong I&T Co-operation Zone will combine the strengths of both Hong Kong and Shenzhen to pool local and non-local talent, and contribute to the development of an international I&T hub in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
      
     Other officials of the Hong Kong side attending the meeting today included the Permanent Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Mr Eddie Mak; the Under Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Ms Lillian Cheong; and representatives from the Development Bureau; the Security Bureau; the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau; the Education Bureau; the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau; the Innovation and Technology Commission and the Civil Engineering and Development Department. Officials of Shenzhen Municipality included representatives of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office; the Development and Reform Commission; the Education Bureau; the Science, Technology and Innovation Commission; the Justice Bureau; the Commerce Bureau; the Planning and Natural Resources Bureau; the Office of Port of Entry and Exit; and the People's Government of Futian District, as well as the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Zone Development Co Ltd.

  

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     The Hospital Authority today (August 25) 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:
 

 
     The following are the statistics of clusters of nosocomial infection cases in public hospitals:
 

 
     In addition, a 74-year-old female patient in a medicine and geriatrics ward of Tuen Mun Hospital tested positive for COVID-19 on August 21. The hospital commenced a contact tracing investigation. Four more female patients, aged 57 to 95, also tested positive. Five patients are being treated in isolation and are in stable condition.
 
     Furthermore, a staff member in a medicine and geriatrics ward of Pok Oi Hospital tested positive for COVID-19 yesterday (August 24). The hospital commenced a contact tracing investigation. Two more male patients, aged 69 and 80, and a staff member also tested positive. Both patients are being treated in isolation and are in stable condition. Both staff members are also in stable condition.
 
     The hospitals are investigating the linkage of the cases concerned. Admission and visiting arrangements for the wards concerned have been suspended. Thorough cleaning and disinfection operations have been conducted. Testing has been arranged for patients and staff members of the wards concerned. The hospitals will closely monitor the health condition of patients and staff, and communicate with the Centre for Health Protection on the latest situation.

     â€‹A Government spokesman announced today (August 25) that the supply of fresh food from the Mainland yesterday (August 24) was sufficient and stable.

     As affected by the typhoon, the quantity of vegetables supplied from the Mainland to Hong Kong yesterday (as of midnight) by land and water transportation was over 1 700 tonnes, slightly lower than the average daily supply from the Mainland on a normal day. The volume of vegetables sold through the wholesale markets of the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) and the Vegetable Marketing Organization was about 843 tonnes. The average wholesale prices of choi sum and pak choi stood at $10.0 and $7.20 per catty respectively yesterday. The supply of eggs to the wholesale market remained steady, with the average daily supply standing at over 3.6 million for the past week, comparable to the average daily supply on a normal day last year.

     The total supply of chilled meat from the Mainland yesterday was about 46 tonnes. The supply of live pigs was plentiful.

     The supply of chilled poultry from the Mainland was about 130 000 head yesterday, and 140 live chickens were slaughtered locally.

     Regarding the rice supply, in compliance with the requirement by the Government, stockholders of rice have to maintain the reserve stock of rice at a level sufficient for consumption by the local population for 15 days. The trade generally stocks double the required amount, which is sufficient for one month's consumption by Hong Kong citizens. In recent years, the import and consumption of rice in Hong Kong has stood at a steady level of around 320 000 to 330 000 tonnes per year. The import quantity (including reserve stock) as of end-July 2022 was 29 800 tonnes. Suppliers also maintain a reserve for food that can be stored, such as frozen meat, for around three months' stock generally.

     The Government will continue to maintain close liaison with the Mainland authorities and major food suppliers to ensure a stable food supply.

     The AFCD updates and publishes the fresh food supply information daily. Members of the public may visit the AFCD website for updates on daily supplies and wholesale prices of fresh food (www.afcd.gov.hk/english/agriculture/agr_fresh/agr_fresh.html).

     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 (August 25) that Shenzhen operated 13 cargo vessel trips and transported around 1 350 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of cross-boundary supplies by water yesterday (August 24), equivalent to about 4 420 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 857 500 TEUs of cross-boundary supplies have been transported, equivalent to about 4 126 650 tonnes of goods, of which around 2 270 TEUs (about 19 200 tonnes) were fresh food and around 855 230 TEUs (about 4 107 450 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 2 096 rapid nucleic acid tests were conducted yesterday, among which five cases that tested preliminarily positive or indeterminate were 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.

     A spokesman for the Immigration Department (ImmD) today (August 25) said the Director of Immigration Mr Au Ka-wang, had tested positive for COVID-19 through a rapid antigen test. He is undergoing isolation in accordance with the guidelines of the Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health.
 
     Mr Au last went to work today. He wore masks and followed relevant disease prevention measures at work, including rapid antigen tests conducted daily. He has no recent travel history.
 
     The ImmD will conduct thorough cleaning and disinfection operations at the office concerned and will continue to implement disease prevention measures vigorously.