A government spokesman said today (August 3) that, according to the 2022 (Phase II) Consumption Voucher Scheme, about 6.36 million people whose eligibility has been verified will receive consumption vouchers by instalments from… read more
A fire broke out at Kwan Tei North Village in Fanling at 5.14am today (August 3). The fire was upgraded to No. 3 alarm at 6.50am. The fire was surrounded at 10am, put under control at 1pm and largely put out at 4.30pm. &n… read more
​The Government today (August 3) exercised the power under the Prevention and Control of Disease (Compulsory Testing for Certain Persons) Regulation (Cap. 599J) to make a “restriction-testing declaration” (declaration) effective from 5pm, under which people (hereafter referred to as “persons subject to compulsory testing”) within the specified “restricted area” in Kwai Chung (i.e. Ting Fung House, Ning Fung Court, Kwai Chung, see Annex) are required to stay in their premises and undergo compulsory testing. Persons subject to compulsory testing are required to stay in their premises until all such persons identified in the “restricted area” have undergone testing and the test results are mostly ascertained. The Government aims at finishing this exercise at around noon tomorrow (August 4). The operation may be extended depending on test results.
A Government spokesman said, “Under Cap. 599J, the Government can, according to the needs of infection control, make a ‘restriction-testing declaration’. Having reviewed a basket of factors, including the viral load in sewage, the information of relevant positive cases, and other circumstantial factors, and conducted a risk assessment, the Government decided to make a ‘restriction-testing declaration’ for the relevant area.”
The Government will set up temporary specimen collection stations at the “restricted area” and request persons subject to compulsory testing to undergo testing before 11pm today. Arrangements will be made for persons subject to compulsory testing to undergo a nucleic acid test at specimen collection stations where dedicated staff will collect samples through combined nasal and throat swabs. Persons subject to compulsory testing must stay at their place of residence until all test results are ascertained to avoid cross-infection risk. The Government will make arrangement to facilitate specimen collection for people with impaired mobility. All persons in the “restricted area” who have tested positive in the past 14 days, including positive cases identified either by nucleic acid tests recorded by the Department of Health (DH) or by rapid antigen tests that have been self-declared to the DH, are not required to undergo testing in this compulsory testing exercise.
The Government spokesman said, “We understand that this exercise will cause inconvenience to the public. The Government has made arrangements to carry out testing for all persons present in the ‘restricted area’ as soon as possible. The aim is to strive to complete testing of all identified persons subject to compulsory testing and confirm the results, and finish the exercise at around noon tomorrow. The Government will make a public announcement when the declaration expires officially. In the cases in which employees are unable to go to work because of the declaration, the Government hopes their employers can exercise discretion and not deduct the salaries or benefits of the employees.”
If staying in the “restricted area” will cause unreasonable hardship to individuals who are not residents in the area when the declaration takes effect, government officers may exercise discretion and allow that person to leave the area after considering the individual circumstances. That person must have followed the instructions to undergo testing and leave his/her personal information for contact purposes.
According to the compulsory testing notice to be issued today, any persons other than those specified above who had been present at the above building for more than two hours from July 28 to August 3, 2022, even if they were not present in the “restricted area” at the time when the declaration took effect, must undergo compulsory testing on or before August 5, 2022. As a mutant strain is involved, for prudence’s sake, vaccinated persons and persons who have recently been tested are also required to undergo testing.
The Government appeals to persons subject to compulsory testing for their full co-operation by registering and undergoing testing, and waiting for the results patiently at home. The Government will strictly follow up on whether the persons concerned have complied with the compulsory testing notices and “restriction-testing declaration”. Any person who fails to comply with the compulsory testing notices commits an offence and may be fined a fixed penalty of $10,000. The person would also be issued with a compulsory testing order requiring him or her to undergo testing within a specified time frame. Failure to comply with the compulsory testing order or the “restriction-testing declaration” is an offence and the offender would be liable to a fine at level 5 ($50,000) and imprisonment for six months. read more
The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Singapore (Singapore ETO) hosted a business seminar-cum-luncheon in Singapore today (August 3) to update the business community on the advantages of using Hong Kong as a bridgehead to grow their businesses and expand markets.
Entitled “Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), Greater Bay Area (GBA) and Hong Kong: What it means for Singapore Businesses”, the seminar was co-organised with the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) and Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK), and supported by the Singapore Business Federation, the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Singapore Manufacturing Federation, and the Association of Small and Medium Enterprises. The event was well received by the business community, attracting 110 guests from a wide spectrum of industries.
In his opening address, the Director of the Singapore ETO, Mr Wong Chun To, highlighted Hong Kong’s boundless opportunities under the synergistic effect of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao GBA, the RCEP, as well as the Mainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA). Joining online from Hong Kong, the Director of Research of the HKTDC, Ms Irina Fan; Associate Director-General of Investment Promotion (Business Development) of InvestHK Dr Jimmy Chiang; and Principal Trade Officer of the Trade and Industry Department Ms Rita Man, elaborated on the vast market potential of the GBA, business opportunities for Singapore’s small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as how to leverage the RCEP and CEPA to tap the GBA market and beyond, using Hong Kong as a conduit.
A panellist session followed in which industry players shared their success stories of using Hong Kong as a platform to grow their markets. Featured speakers were the Head of Wholesale Banking of UOB Hong Kong, Mr Ricky Ng; the President of the Hong Kong-Malaysia Business Association, Mr Dixon Chew; and the Chief Executive Officer of Endowus, Mr Gregory Van. Participants were briefed on the opportunities and challenges brought by increasing trade activities in the Asian region, and how Singapore businesses could tap the opportunities.
After the business seminar, participants joined a networking luncheon to further establish ties and exchange views with the speakers as well as other business executives.
The event is part of the Singapore ETO’s celebratory events for the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region under the theme of “A New Era – Stability • Prosperity • Opportunity”. The Singapore ETO will continue to host different events to invite the community to celebrate this momentous occasion.
A Government spokesman announced today (August 3) that the supply of fresh food from the Mainland yesterday (August 2) was sufficient and stable.
According to the latest information, the quantity of vegetables supplied from the Mainland to Hong Kong yesterday (as of midnight) by land and water transportation was over 2 700 tonnes, comparable to 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 847 tonnes. The average wholesale prices of choi sum and pak choi stood at $6.80 and $6.60 per catty respectively yesterday. The supply of eggs to the wholesale market remained steady, with the average daily supply standing at about 3.3 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 over 44 tonnes. The supply of live pigs was plentiful.
The supply of chilled poultry from the Mainland was over 150 000 head yesterday, and over 10 000 live chickens were slaughtered locally. The supply was abundant.
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-June 2022 was 30 400 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). read more