The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     The Hospital Authority today (August 10) 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:
 

 
     Thorough cleaning and disinfection operations have been conducted for the wards concerned. The hospitals will continue to monitor the health condition of patients and staff members closely, and communicate with the Centre for Health Protection on the latest situation.

     â€‹Hong Kong Customs on August 7 seized about 5 kilograms of suspected heroin with an estimated market value of about $4.7 million at Hong Kong International Airport.

     Through risk assessment, Customs on that day inspected an air consignment, declared as carrying boxing accessories, arriving in Hong Kong from Thailand at the airport. Upon inspection, Customs officers found the batch of suspected heroin concealed inside 14 kick pads. 

     After a follow-up investigation, Customs officers yesterday (August 9) arrested a 40-year-old man suspected to be connected with the case in North Point.

     The arrested man has been charged with one count of trafficking in a dangerous drug and will appear at the Eastern Magistrates' Courts tomorrow (August 11).

     Customs reminds members of the public to stay alert and not to participate in drug trafficking activities for monetary return. They must not accept hiring or delegation from another party to carry controlled items in and out of Hong Kong. They are also reminded not to carry unknown items for other people, nor to release their personal data or home address to others for receiving parcels or goods.

     Under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, trafficking in a dangerous drug is a serious offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $5 million and life imprisonment.

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

    

     â€‹The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, today (August 10) welcomed and expressed support for the white paper on "The Taiwan Question and China's Reunification in the New Era" published by the Central Government. The paper righteously reiterates to the world the fact that Taiwan is part of China and demonstrates the Central Authorities' firm stance and policy on materialising the reunification of the motherland.
      
     Citing historical developments and jurisprudence, the white paper states that the one-China policy is a universal consensus of the international community and an indisputable and unalterable fact as reflected in the relevant resolution passed by the United Nations General Assembly.
      
     According to the white paper, "Peaceful reunification and 'One Country, Two Systems' are our basic principles for resolving the Taiwan question and the best approach to realizing national reunification. Embodying the Chinese wisdom – we thrive by embracing each other – they take full account of Taiwan's realities and are conducive to long-term stability in Taiwan after reunification."
      
     Mr Lee said that the white paper rightly pointed out that some political forces in Taiwan have long been purposefully misinterpreting and smearing "One Country, Two Systems" and advocating "Taiwan independence". "One Country, Two Systems" is proven to be a successful national policy. The successful implementation of "One Country, Two Systems" in Hong Kong is widely recognised. Being the best institutional guarantee for Hong Kong, "One Country, Two Systems" is an important cornerstone for maintaining Hong Kong's long-term prosperity and stability, and a successful national policy that provides the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) with its unique edge of having close connections with the world and strong support from the motherland. The thorough and precise implementation of the "One Country, Two Systems" principle opens up broader prospects for the development of Hong Kong.
      
     "With the institutional safeguard of the 'One Country, Two Systems' principle, the appropriate improvements made as well as the series of measures taken by the Central Government which addressed both the symptoms and root causes of the unrest while upholding the 'One Country, Two Systems' principle, Hong Kong rode out the destruction and threats brought by riots and 'Hong Kong independence' fueled by external forces some three years ago. Now that Hong Kong has moved from disarray to good governance, it is advancing to a new stage of becoming more prosperous. This not only demonstrates the importance of the 'One Country, Two Systems' principle in safeguarding the fundamental interests of Hong Kong, but also proves that the more firmly the 'One Country' principle is upheld, the greater the strength of the 'Two Systems' that will be unleashed for the development of Hong Kong," he said.
      
     Mr Lee reiterated that the HKSAR Government resolutely safeguards China's national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and safeguards the one-China principle. The HKSAR Government resolutely opposes any interference by external forces in the internal affairs of China, and fully supports and facilitates the necessary measures by the Central Government.

Attention duty announcers, radio and TV stations:

Please broadcast the following as soon as possible and repeat it at suitable intervals:

     As Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No. 3 has been cancelled, the Home Affairs Department's emergency hotline 2572 8427 has ceased to operate.

     The Labour Department (LD) today (August 10) reminded employers to make practical and reasonable work arrangements for staff after tropical cyclone and rainstorm warnings. Employers should also make flexible arrangements for staff to resume work or work from home (if applicable) after a tropical cyclone or rainstorm warning is cancelled, with due consideration to road and traffic conditions and other factors. This will help maintain good labour-management relations and ensure the safety of employees and the smooth operation of establishments.
 
     "For staff who have practical difficulties in resuming work on time upon the cancellation of a tropical cyclone or rainstorm warning, employers should give due consideration to the situations of individual employees and handle each case flexibly. For example, employers may permit employees who have difficulties in returning to workplaces to work from home or allow more time for them to report for duty and resume work," an LD spokesman said.
 
     "As typhoons and rainstorms are natural occurrences that cannot be avoided, for employees who are not able to report for duty or resume work on time due to adverse weather conditions, employers should not withhold their wages, good attendance bonuses or allowances without reasons. Employers should enquire into the reasons and give due consideration to the exceptional circumstances in each case and should not penalise or dismiss the employee concerned rashly," he said.
 
     The spokesman also reminded employers to observe the statutory liabilities and requirements under the Employment Ordinance, the Occupational Safety and Health Ordinance, the Factories and Industrial Undertakings Ordinance, the Employees' Compensation Ordinance and the Minimum Wage Ordinance. 
 
     Employers should not deduct annual leave, statutory holidays or rest days to which employees are entitled under the Employment Ordinance to compensate for the loss of working hours resulting from employees' failure to report for duty when Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No. 8 or the Black Rainstorm Warning Signal is in force or when the post-super typhoon "extreme conditions" exist. An employer who without reasonable excuse fails to comply with the relevant provisions under the Employment Ordinance is liable to prosecution. 
 
     Employers should also note that they have an obligation to provide and maintain a safe working environment for their employees under the Occupational Safety and Health Ordinance.
 
     The LD has published the "Code of Practice in Times of Typhoons and Rainstorms", which provides a reference for employers and employees on the work and resumption of work arrangements in the event of the Government making the post-super typhoon "extreme conditions" announcement, as well as the major principles, the framework, the reference guidelines and information on relevant legislation for reference in drawing up the work arrangements under adverse weather conditions. The booklet can be obtained from branch offices of the Labour Relations Division or downloaded from the department's webpage (www.labour.gov.hk/eng/public/wcp/Rainstorm.pdf).