The Government reminded the public today (July 14) that starting from tomorrow (July 15), outbound travellers planning to cross the boundary via the Shenzhen Bay Control Point are required to present proof of booking confirmation for undergoing the special nucleic acid test. Members of the public can reserve the special nucleic acid testing service at the control point through the online booking system. The booking system has been operating smoothly since its commencement at 0.00am today. Currently, there are still ample testing time slots available for reservation.

     The special nucleic acid testing service and time slots for booking at the Shenzhen Bay Control Point are sufficient to meet the overall number of daily cross-boundary passengers. As at 8pm today, the situation of the testing service booking was as follows:
 

 
     After obtaining a reservation at a Shenzhen quarantine hotel, members of the public could reserve through the online booking system a time slot on the day of making the reservation or in the coming six days for special nucleic acid test. Each testing session is 30 minutes. They are required to input their name, identification document number and reservation number of the Shenzhen quarantine hotel when making the booking.

     On the day of crossing the boundary, travellers should arrive at the Shenzhen Bay Control Point during the time slot as reserved. They can only undergo the special nucleic acid test upon presentation of the SMS or a screen capture of the booking confirmation to the staff on-site. Those who fail to present the booking confirmation of the special nucleic acid test or fail to arrive at the control point during the reserved time slot will not be able to continue with their journey across the boundary should they eventually not be able to undergo the test at the control point.
 
     The Government will keep monitoring the cross-boundary passenger flow closely and expand the testing capacity and waiting area at appropriate juncture with a view to streamlining the clearance procedures.

     An exhibition featuring a selection of compelling masterpieces by Italian Baroque painters from the valuable collection of the Capodimonte Museum, Italy, "The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: The Road to the Baroque – Masterpieces from the Capodimonte Museum", will be open to the public starting from tomorrow (July 15) at the Hong Kong Museum of Art (HKMoA), enabling visitors to experience the charm and magnificence of Baroque art from the 17th century.

     Speaking at the opening ceremony today (July 14), the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Mr Kevin Yeung, said that "The Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) has been collaborating with world-class museums across the globe to bring top-notch exhibitions to Hong Kong over the years. If you just recall the very well-received exhibition of the Uffizi collection of Italian Renaissance art in Hong Kong last time, I can assure you that this exhibition of Baroque art is equally unique and no less inspiring."

     Other officiating guests included the Consul General of Italy in Hong Kong, Mr Clemente Contestabile; the Executive Director of Charities and Community of the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC), Mr Leong Cheung; the Director of Leisure and Cultural Services, Mr Vincent Liu; and the Museum Director of the HKMoA, Dr Maria Mok. The Director of the Capodimonte Museum, Dr Sylvain Bellenger, also delivered a pre-recorded speech during the ceremony.

     Originating in Italy, Baroque is another important period in the Western art history after the Renaissance. Characterised by the dramatic contrast of light and dark, exaggerated movement and pronounced figures' facial expressions, historians coined the term "Baroque" to define the 17th century Italian art which focuses on high tension and realistic representations of emotions. Baroque artists were arguably the originators of immersive experiences. Their paintings are compelling and strikingly real, often immersing the audience in the scene.

     The Capodimonte Museum in Naples, Italy, is one of the largest and most famous museums in Italy, with over 1 million attendants per year. The museum is famous for some of the finest collections of Italian paintings in the world. Collaborating with the HKMoA, this is the Capodimonte Museum's debut exhibition in Hong Kong. The exhibition features 40 late Renaissance works from northern and central Italy, and Neapolitan Baroque masterpieces from the Capodimonte Museum that have never been shown in Hong Kong. These works come from the two major nuclei – the Farnese Collection and the Bourbon Collection of the museum. The showcase includes religion, saints, mythology, still life and landscape paintings of legendary masters, such as Titian, Annibale Carracci and Artemisia Gentileschi, to present the stylistic characteristics and artistic accomplishments of Italian Neapolitan art in the 16th and 17th centuries. This exhibition is also the largest scale Baroque exhibition in Hong Kong in recent years.

     To complement the exhibition, the Associate Vice-President (Interdisciplinary Research) and the Founding Dean of the School of Creative Arts of the Hong Kong Baptist University, Professor Johnny Poon, designed Baroque music and soundscapes for selected exhibits. These aural elements add a new dimension to art appreciation and help open the door to Baroque art. The HKMoA has also invited three local artists to provide artistic responses with various creative media to the works of the Baroque masters. Their efforts have enriched the exhibition with a Hong Kong perspective, allowing the audience to enjoy an art experience that connects the past and the present.

     New media artist Kingsley Ng draws inspiration from the Baroque artist Artemisia Gentileschi's autobiographical painting and juxtaposes Galileo Galilei's laws of the pendulum with dramatic Baroque chiaroscuro to express the impact of modern science on Baroque art. In this immersive space, the audience can feel the tension between light and shadow, and stillness and movement. Visual artist Chow Chun-fai reinterprets Baroque characters with photography installations, introducing elements of local culture to Baroque art for a dazzling fusion of East and West, and the past and present. With great imagination, illustrator missquai works with the HKMoA curatorial team to present some of the tales, significance and techniques of the Baroque period through stories and games. The illustrations provide the audience with a fun-packed journey through art.

     The exhibition is one of the programmes for the 25th Anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). It will run from July 15 to November 2 at the Special Gallery on the second floor of the HKMoA (10 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon). For details of the exhibition and the admission arrangements, please visit the website at hk.art.museum/en_US/web/ma/exhibitions-and-events/the-road-to-the-baroque-masterpieces-from-the-capodimonte-museum.html or call 2721 0116 for enquiries.

     The exhibition is under the exclusive sponsorship of the HKJC, and is one of the many initiatives supported by the HKJC's approved donation of $630 million to the HKSAR Government to mark the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the HKSAR, demonstrating that the HKJC is resolute in pursuing its purpose of acting continuously for the betterment of society, all in support of creating stronger communities together.

     The exhibition is jointly presented by the LCSD and the MiC – Italian Ministry of Culture, and jointly organised by the HKMoA and the Museo e Real Bosco di Capodimonte. In collaboration with the Consulate General of Italy in Hong Kong, the exhibition is also supported by the Italian Cultural Institute in Hong Kong and is a programme of "Italy-China Year of Culture and Tourism" and "Italia Mia".

     The LCSD will also present the Baroque Music Lecture Series "Bach & Beyond" from August to October, to be hosted by local music critic William Ting, offering audiences an opportunity to acquaint themselves with the art of Johann Sebastian Bach, dubbed "the father of classical music", from multiple perspectives. For programme enquiries, please call 2268 7321 or visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/CulturalService/Programme/en/music/programs_1333.html.

     In order to comply with the requirements stipulated in the Prevention and Control of Disease (Requirements and Directions) (Business and Premises) Regulation (Cap. 599F) and relevant requirements of administrative instructions, visitors are required to scan the "LeaveHomeSafe" venue QR code with their mobile phones/other mobile devices before being allowed to enter the museum for necessary contact tracing if a confirmed case is found. In accordance with the Prevention and Control of Disease (Vaccine Pass) Regulation (Cap. 599L) and relevant requirements of administrative instructions, all persons entering indoor venues under the management of the LCSD must comply with the relevant requirements of the Vaccine Pass.

                            

     The Government announced today (July 14) the quarterly land sale programme for the second quarter of 2022-23, i.e. July to September 2022.
      
     The Secretary for Development, Ms Bernadette Linn, said that in the second quarter of 2022-23 the Government will sell by tender three residential sites in Sha Tin, Kwai Chung and Tuen Mun. The total estimated flat yield is about 2 600 units.
      
     The Urban Renewal Authority also plans to sell by tender a development project at Wing Kwong Street/Sung On Street, To Kwa Wan, which is capable of producing about 560 units.
      
     On private development and redevelopment projects, three projects are expected to have their lease modification processes completed in the second quarter, and are capable of producing about 50 units.
      
     Ms Linn said that taking all sources of private housing land supply into account, the total private housing land supply in the second quarter is estimated to be about 3 210 units. Together with the land supply for 2 140 units in the first quarter, the total private housing land supply in the first half of 2022-23 is expected to provide about 5 350 units, reaching around 40 per cent of the annual target of private housing supply (12 900 units).
      
     As regards commercial land, the Government plans to put up for tender a site on Anderson Road, Kwun Tong, capable of providing around 13 000 square metres of gross floor area.
      
     Ms Linn said in regard to private residential land supply in 2021-22, taking into account the private development projects that do not require lease modifications recorded in the fourth quarter, as well as the tender cancellation of a residential site, the actual land supply for the financial year is adjusted to about 18 930 flats, exceeding the supply target by almost 50 per cent.
      
     "As for the remaining sites on our 2022-23 Land Sale Programme, some of them are still undergoing rezoning or road works gazettal procedures, land clearance, etc. We will press ahead with the preparatory work with a view to getting ready the potential land sale sites in the year," Ms Linn said.
      
     "The Government will continue to increase land supply through a multi-pronged approach, sparing no effort in taking forward a series of site production projects, including new development areas, reclamation, rezoning of individual sites, etc. We will also continue to look for more land resources, as well as compress our development procedures through administrative and legislative means, in order to expedite our site search and production to meet the needs of our community."
      
     The list of the sites to be tendered in July to September 2022 is in the Annex. The actual tender timetable will be drawn up taking into account the progress of necessary preparatory work. The Lands Department will announce the detailed land sale arrangements before individual sites are put up for tender. 

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     As at 0.00am today (July 14), a total of 1 060 patients who tested positive for COVID-19 are currently hospitalised for treatment, including 137 new patients. Among the patients staying in isolation facilities, 342 patients are in isolation wards, 20 patients are in second-tier isolation wards and 344 patients are in the North Lantau Hospital Hong Kong Infection Control Centre, of which 99 in total are new patients. There are three newly reported critical patients and two newly reported serious patients. There are a total of 20 patients in critical condition and 23 are in serious condition, of which eight critical patients are receiving intensive care. Moreover, there are 102 patients who have recovered, including 82 patients who have been discharged. In addition, five patients who passed away in public hospital were reported.

     In the fifth wave of the epidemic, there are 53 198 patients who have recovered so far, including 52 951 patients who have been discharged. And since early 2020, there are 65 578 patients who have recovered, including 65 331 patients who have been discharged.

     The Hospital Authority will maintain close contact with the Centre for Health Protection to monitor the latest developments and to inform the public and healthcare workers on the latest information in a timely manner.

     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) today (July 14) announced the latest epidemic situation of COVID-19. As of 0.00am, July 14, the CHP was investigating 3 417 additional locally acquired cases tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus, including 1 365 cases tested positive by nucleic acid tests (547 confirmed cases, 588 asymptomatic cases and 230 cases with pending case status) and 2 052 cases tested positive by rapid antigen tests (RATs) verified in the past 24 hours.

     Separately, 257 additional imported cases were reported, including 251 cases tested positive by nucleic acid tests (21 confirmed cases, 181 asymptomatic cases and 49 cases with pending case status) and six cases tested positive by RATs.

     Hong Kong has recorded a total of 791 640 and 491 874 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.

     Meanwhile, according to the analysis by the DH's Public Health Laboratory Services Branch, as of yesterday (July 13), Hong Kong had recorded a total of 19 cases, 1 020 cases and 895 cases carrying the sub-lineages BA.2.12, BA.2.12.1 and BA.4/BA.5 under the Omicron mutant strain respectively (including suspected cases), among which zero, 793 and 236 of them are local cases.

     In addition, as of 0.00am, July 14, a total of 9 214 death cases that had tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus during the fifth wave (since December 31, 2021) were recorded, with 9 136 and 75 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 9 427 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 343 520, while the figures for asymptomatic cases, re-positive cases and pending/unknown cases recorded since January 1 were 214 005, 24 and 232 475 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€‹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.