Author Archives: hksar gov

     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) today (August 2) announced the latest epidemic situation of COVID-19. As of 0.00am, August 2, the CHP was investigating 3 889 additional locally acquired cases tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus, including 1 430 cases tested positive by nucleic acid tests (592 confirmed cases, 613 asymptomatic cases and 225 cases with pending case status) and 2 459 cases tested positive by rapid antigen tests (RATs) verified in the past 24 hours.

     Separately, 234 additional imported cases were reported, including 219 cases tested positive by nucleic acid tests (18 confirmed cases, 154 asymptomatic cases and 47 cases with pending case status) and 15 cases tested positive by RATs.

     Hong Kong has recorded a total of 823 801 and 538 570 cases that have tested positive by nucleic acid tests and RATs respectively for the SARS-CoV-2 virus so far.

     The CHP is continuing with epidemiological investigations on the cases. Please refer to the “COVID-19 Thematic Website” (www.coronavirus.gov.hk) for more information.

     As of yesterday (August 1), among the specimens received by the DH’s Public Health Laboratory Services Branch in the past seven days for verification testing of local cases, about 5.7 per cent and 4.8 per cent of them are related to sub-lineages BA.2.12.1 and BA.4/BA.5 (including suspected cases) under the Omicron mutant strain respectively.
     
     In addition, as of 0.00am, August 2, a total of 9 307 death cases that had tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus during the fifth wave (since December 31, 2021) were recorded, with 9 227 and 77 deaths reported from the Hospital Authority and public mortuaries respectively as well as three deaths reported from the Chinese University of Hong Kong Medical Centre. Hong Kong has so far recorded a total of 9 520 death cases that have tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

     Furthermore, among the earlier cases by nucleic acid tests reported, there were cases (including pending cases) changed to confirmed, asymptomatic or re-positive cases. As at yesterday, the total number of confirmed cases was 356 622, while the figures for asymptomatic cases, re-positive cases and pending/unknown cases recorded since January 1 were 230 832, 31 and 234 667 respectively.
     
     The spokesman for the CHP stressed that as the local situation of COVID-19 infection is still severe, the CHP strongly appeals to the community to continue to comply with social distancing measures, avoid going out and refrain from participating in unnecessary or crowded activities or gatherings. This would lower the risk of infection and prevent the virus from spreading in the community.

     â€‹The spokesman reminded that COVID-19 vaccines are highly effective in preventing severe cases and deaths from the SARS-CoV-2 virus. They can provide effective protection to those vaccinated in preventing serious complications and even death after infection. People who have yet to receive vaccination, especially senior citizens, chronic patients and other immunocompromised persons who face a higher chance of death after COVID-19 infection, should get vaccinated as early as possible for self-protection and to reduce the risk of falling seriously ill and death should they get infected. read more

     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 2) that Shenzhen operated 38 cargo vessel trips and transported around 5 050 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of cross-boundary supplies by water yesterday (August 1), equivalent to about 23 610 tonnes of goods, of which around 10 TEUs (about 10 tonnes) were fresh food and around 5 040 TEUs (about 23 600 tonnes) 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 751 450 TEUs of cross-boundary supplies have been transported, equivalent to about 3 643 540 tonnes of goods, of which around 2 170 TEUs (about 18 570 tonnes) were fresh food and around 749 280 TEUs (about 3 624 970 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 3 193 rapid nucleic acid tests were conducted yesterday, among which eight cases that tested 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. read more

The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:

     The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) wishes to alert members of the public to a press release issued by Bank of Singapore Limited relating to fraudulent mobile application (App), which has been reported to the HKMA. A hyperlink to the press release is available on the HKMA website.
      
     The HKMA wishes to remind the public that banks will not send SMS or e-mails with embedded hyperlinks which direct them to the banks’ websites to carry out transactions. They will not ask customers for sensitive personal information, such as login passwords or one-time password, by phone, email or SMS (including via embedded hyperlinks).
      
     Anyone who has provided his or her personal information, or who has conducted any financial transactions, through or in response to the Apps concerned, should contact the bank using the contact information provided in the press release, and report the matter to the Police by contacting the Cyber Security and Technology Crime Bureau of the Hong Kong Police Force at 2860 5012. read more

     A landfill user was convicted at Fanling Magistrates’ Courts today (August 2) for contravening the Waste Disposal (Designated Waste Disposal Facility) Regulation and fined $3,000. The user provided incorrect information to staff of the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) while he was preparing to dispose of waste at the West New Territories (WENT) Landfill.

     A spokesman for the EPD said that the department is determined to stop landfill users from delivering construction waste to landfills in the guise of municipal solid waste to avoid construction waste disposal charges. In a blitz operation conducted at the WENT Landfill in January 2022, EPD staff encountered a landfill user who claimed that he was not delivering construction waste, but EPD staff subsequently found construction waste in what the landfill user had disposed of. After an investigation and collection of evidence, the EPD prosecuted the landfill user concerned in accordance with the Waste Disposal (Designated Waste Disposal Facility) Regulation.

     The spokesman said that according to the Waste Disposal (Charges for Disposal of Construction Waste) Regulation, construction waste producers, including construction contractors, renovation contractors and premises owners, are required to open a billing account with the EPD and pay the construction waste disposal charge in advance for using government waste disposal facilities. In accordance with the Waste Disposal (Designated Waste Disposal Facility) Regulation, a person who deliberately makes any statement or gives any information in a material particular that is incorrect commits an offence and is liable to a maximum fine of $100,000.

     The spokesman reminded the construction and transport sectors to strictly comply with the legal requirements. The EPD will continue to take stringent enforcement action to deter any illegal activities within landfills. read more

     The Government announced today (August 2) that having regard to experts’ advice, the Secretary for Health has approved the lowering of the minimum age for receiving the the CoronaVac vaccine from 3 years to 6 months old for “off-label use”. Based on related clinical trials and studies of vaccination for local adolescents, the experts considered that three doses of CoronaVac vaccine (each dose of the same dosage as that for older children and adults) can be used for children aged 6 months to less than 3 years, following the same schedule of vaccination for older children. The Government already has the relevant vaccines in stock, and the vaccination arrangements will be announced.
 
     For the Comirnaty vaccine, the experts also advised a three-dose series (each dose is one-tenth of that for an adult) to be administered to children aged 6 months to under 5 years. The Government is negotiating with the relevant drug manufacturer on the procurement of the designated paediatric formulation.
 
     The Scientific Committee on Vaccine Preventable Diseases and the Scientific Committee on Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases under the Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health, joined by the Chief Executive’s expert advisory panel, issued the consensus interim recommendations yesterday (August 1) on the use of COVID-19 vaccines for children aged 6 months or above in Hong Kong.

     A Government spokesman said, “According to research conducted by the University of Hong Kong, for children aged below 11 who need to be hospitalised after COVID-19 infection, the risks of admittance to a paediatric intensive care unit and death are 1.8 per cent and 0.2 per cent respectively. The risk of having neurological complications, including encephalitis, is as high as 15 per cent, which is twice of that for seasonal influenza. Other sequelae include ‘multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children’ and symptoms of ‘long COVID’, such as damage to the central nervous system, memory loss and insomnia. Recently, several cases involving young children suffering from severe illness or even death after COVID-19 infection were recorded. The situation is of grave concern. The Government attaches great importance to the vaccination for young children, and will strive to provide a wide range of vaccination channels for them to get vaccinated as quickly as possible, thus having early protection in the face of the threat posed by the highly transmissible mutant virus strains.” read more