The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority: The Hospital Authority today (July 14) announced information regarding patients who tested positive via admission screening or testing with patients or staff … read more
​Hong Kong Customs today (July 14) arrested a saleslady of a beauty parlour suspected of having applied a false trade description in the course of selling a beauty service, in contravention of the Trade Descriptions Ordinance (TDO).
Customs earlier received information alleging that a salesperson of a beauty parlour in Tsim Sha Tsui made a false claim to a customer that the beauty treatment fee would be settled by interest-free monthly instalments. However, the customer later found that the beauty parlour had charged the whole treatment fee in one go.
After an in-depth investigation, Customs officers today arrested a 30-year-old saleslady of the beauty parlour suspected to be connected to the case.
An investigation is ongoing and the arrested woman has been released on bail pending further investigation.
Customs reminds traders to comply with the requirements of the TDO and consumers to procure services at reputable shops.
Under the TDO, any trader who applies a false trade description to a service supplied or offered to be supplied to a consumer commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $500,000 and imprisonment for five years.
Members of the public may report any suspected violations of the TDO to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk). read more
Following is the transcript of remarks by the Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong, at a media session after attending the official release of the Life Sciences Stories in Hong Kong today (July 14):
Reporter: Secretary, does the introduction of the health code system mean a complete revamp of the “LeaveHomeSafe” app? And also, is the Government testing the health code system to prevent any glitches?
Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry: Based on medical doctors’ suggestions, a PCR test result is very important for infection control. Currently, our “LeaveHomeSafe” app has no indicator about this important result. Therefore, we are working in the direction of using the “LeaveHomeSafe” app to show the PCR results for identifying confirmed cases. I think this is very important and it is beneficial to the community as a whole.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.) read more
The Government today (July 14) exercised the power under the Prevention and Control of Disease (Compulsory Testing for Certain Persons) Regulation (Cap. 599J) to make a “restriction-testing declaration” effective from 5pm under which people (hereafter referred to as “persons subject to compulsory testing”) within the specified “restricted area” in Tuen Mun (i.e. Wu Tsui House, Wu King Estate, Tuen Mun. 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 11am tomorrow (July 15). 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 11am 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 8 to July 14, 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 July 16, 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 Housing Department has set up a hotline (Tel: 2465 0621) which started operation at 5pm today for residents restricted by the declaration to make enquiries and seek assistance. The Social Welfare Department will also provide assistance to the affected persons.
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.
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The Government announced today (July 14) that the Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, under the authority delegated by the Chief Executive pursuant to the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Cap. 571), has re-appointed Ms Christina Choi Fung-yee as the Executive Director (Investment Products) of the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) for a term of three years from August 1, 2022, to July 31, 2025, and re-appointed Mr Rico Leung Chung-yin as the Executive Director (Supervision of Markets) for a term of three years from August 28, 2022, to August 27, 2025.
Mr Chan said, “Ms Choi and Mr Leung have made valuable contributions to the work of the SFC. I look forward to their continued service to the SFC in the new term to foster the development and regulation of Hong Kong’s securities and futures market.”
Ms Choi was appointed as the Executive Director (Investment Products) of the SFC in 2016. She assumes the management responsibility for the Investment Products Division, including the authorisation and supervision of collective investment schemes and other investment products as well as the development and implementation of the SFC’s asset management strategy and policies.
Mr Leung was appointed as the Executive Director (Supervision of Markets) of the SFC in 2019. He assumes the management responsibility for Supervision of Markets, including the supervision and monitoring of exchanges, clearing houses and authorised automated trading service providers; regulation of share registrars; management of the investor compensation funds; formulation of policies to facilitate the development of market infrastructure; and strengthening connections with the Mainland and international markets. read more