Author Archives: hksar gov

     In light of positive test results for the COVID-19 virus from sewage samples collected in Tuen Mun, Sai Kung, Tsuen Wan and North Districts, the Home Affairs Department (HAD) said today (May 23) that the Tuen Mun District Offic… read more

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:      Regarding an earlier announcement on a cluster of patients carrying Candida auris in a medicine and geriatrics ward, the spokesperson for Princess Margaret Ho… read more

     The Task Force of Supplies from the Mainland led by the Transport and Housing Bureau (THB) 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. In addition to road transport arrangements, transportation of goods by water and railway is already in service.
 
     A spokesperson for the THB 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.
 
     Currently, there are three water transportation routes between Hong Kong and Shenzhen, namely (1) from Shenzhen Yantian International Container Terminals to Hong Kong Kwai Tsing Container Terminals (KTCT); (2) from Shenzhen DaChan Bay Terminals to KTCT; and (3) from China Merchants Port (South China) Management Center (Shenzhen Mawan, Shekou and Chiwan Container Terminals) to Hong Kong River Trade Terminal and elsewhere. Together with the water transportation routes from other cities in Guangdong Province, including the routes from Guangzhou Lianhuashan Port, Nansha Port, Huadu Port, Zhongshan Huangpu Port and Zhuhai Doumen Port to different terminals in Hong Kong, the water transport capacity amounts to tens of thousands of tonnes daily.
 
     The spokesperson said today (May 23) that Shenzhen operated 60 cargo vessel trips and transported around 7 540 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of cross-boundary supplies by water yesterday (May 22), equivalent to about 36 030 tonnes of goods, of which around 10 TEUs (about 70 tonnes) were fresh food and around 7 530 TEUs (about 35 960 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 407 610 TEUs of cross-boundary supplies have been transported, equivalent to about 2 058 100 tonnes of goods, of which around 1 750 TEUs (about 14 980 tonnes) were fresh food and around 405 860 TEUs (about 2 043 120 tonnes) were non-fresh food.
 
     To further ensure a stable goods supply to Hong Kong through land transport, a trial run of cargo transfer was conducted by the THB at a yard situated on Kam Pok Road, San Tin, Yuen Long, and it was completed smoothly. The THB will continue to work with the Mainland authorities to fully take forward cargo transfer arrangements on the Hong Kong side. It is a contingency measure in response to the latest epidemic situation in the city so as to reduce the risk of epidemic transmission in both the Mainland and Hong Kong, ensuring both smooth cross-boundary land transport and a stable goods supply to Hong Kong.
 
     Meanwhile, to avoid a spillover of the epidemic, the Transport Department (TD) has arranged for dedicated staff to conduct rapid antigen tests for cross-boundary goods vehicle drivers at various land boundary control points (BCPs) from February 28 onwards. Only drivers with a negative result are allowed to enter the Mainland. In order to further improve the accuracy of the tests, the TD has already switched to use rapid nucleic acid tests at the BCPs. Starting from April 21, the sampling method for rapid nucleic acid tests has been further changed to nasopharyngeal swabs. A total of 2 185 rapid nucleic acid tests were conducted yesterday in which 18 drivers preliminarily tested positive. The TD has passed the cases to the Department of Health for follow-up.
 
     The THB will closely monitor the situation and co-operate with the Mainland authorities to facilitate and implement various measures to ensure a stable goods supply to Hong Kong, with a view to complementing the supply through road, water and railway transport, enhancing capacity and efficiency as well as optimising the flow of cross-boundary supplies. read more

     The Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Christopher Hui, today (May 23) chaired the second meeting of the Coordination Group on Implementation of Fintech Initiatives (CGFin) and listened to the views of representatives from the financial services and fintech sectors, academia and research institutions on the development of Hong Kong’s fintech sector.
 
     Mr Hui said, “The Government attaches great importance to maintaining regular liaison with the fintech sector, academia and research institutions to ensure our fintech policy and initiatives are proactive enough and also implemented in a way which matches the needs for market development. Convening the CGFin meeting is a crucial part of our work to establish a closer link with the trade. We are indebted to the views expressed by the industry representatives.”
 
     Representatives from the Government and financial regulators briefed members on the measures to further promote the development of the fintech sector announced in the 2022-23 Budget and their progress, including the launch of a new round of the Fintech Proof-of-Concept Subsidy Scheme this year to encourage fintech companies and financial institutions to conduct proof-of-concept on more innovative and practical financial services and products.
 
     On nurturing fintech talents, the industry has responded positively to the second round of the Financial Practitioners Fintech Training Programme launched in February this year, with over 7 100 practitioners registered. Moreover, the Government will push forward this year the establishment of professional qualifications for fintech practitioners recognised by the Qualifications Framework, and roll out a subsidy scheme to encourage practitioners to attain such qualifications, thereby promoting the professional development of fintech talents.
 
     The Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury is the Chairman of the CGFin. Its members include representatives from the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, the Securities and Futures Commission, the Insurance Authority, the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority, Invest Hong Kong, Cyberport and the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation. read more

     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health today (May 23) reported the latest number of cases of Legionnaires’ disease (LD), and stressed the importance of using and maintaining properly designed man-made water systems, adding that susceptible groups should strictly observe relevant precautions.

     From May 15 to 21, two community-acquired LD cases were reported:
 

1. A female patient, aged 82 with underlying illnesses, who lives in Ko Fung Court, Harbour Heights, North Point; and
2. A female patient, aged 28 with good past health, who lives in Hon Chung House, Wan Hon Estate, Kwun Tong.

     “Epidemiological investigations are ongoing to identify potential sources of infection, high-risk exposure and clusters, if any,” a spokesman for the CHP said.

     As of May 21, 19 LD cases had been reported this year. In 2021 and 2020, there were 69 and 104 cases respectively.

     “Men, people aged over 50, smokers, alcoholics and persons with weakened immunity are more susceptible to LD. Some situations may also increase the risk of infection including poor maintenance of water systems leading to stagnant water; living in areas with old water systems, cooling towers or fountains; using electric water heaters, whirlpools and spas or hot water spring spas; and recent stays in hotels or vessels,” the spokesman said.

     Legionellae are found in various environmental settings and grow well in warm water (20 to 45 degrees Celsius). They can be found in aqueous environments such as water tanks, hot and cold water systems, cooling towers, whirlpools and spas, water fountains and home apparatus which support breathing. People may become infected when they breathe in contaminated droplets (aerosols) and mist generated by artificial water systems, or when handling garden soil, compost and potting mixes.

     Immunocompromised persons should:
 

• Use sterile or boiled water for drinking, tooth brushing and mouth rinsing;
• Avoid using humidifiers, or other mist- or aerosol-generating devices. A shower may also generate small aerosols; and
• If using humidifiers, or other mist- or aerosol-generating devices, fill the water tank with only sterile or cooled freshly boiled water, and not water directly from the tap. Also, clean and maintain humidifiers/devices regularly according to manufacturers’ instructions. Never leave stagnant water in a humidifier/device. Empty the water tank, wipe all surfaces dry, and change the water daily.

     The public should observe the health advice below:
 

• Observe personal hygiene;
• Do not smoke and avoid alcohol consumption;
• Strainers in water taps and shower heads should be inspected, cleaned, descaled and disinfected regularly or at a frequency recommended by the manufacturer;
• If a fresh-water plumbing system is properly maintained, it is not necessary to install domestic water filters. Use of water filters is not encouraged as clogging occurs easily, which can promote growth of micro-organisms. In case water filters are used, the pore size should be 0.2 micrometres (µm) and the filter needs to be changed periodically according to the manufacturer’s recommendations;
• Drain and clean water tanks of buildings at least quarterly;
• Drain or purge for at least one minute infrequently used water outlets (e.g. water taps, shower heads and hot water outlets) and stagnant points of the pipework weekly or before use;
• Seek and follow doctors’ professional advice regarding the use and maintenance of home respiratory devices and use only sterile water (not distilled or tap water) to clean and fill the reservoir. Clean and maintain the device regularly according to the manufacturer’s instructions. After cleaning/disinfection, rinse the device with sterile water, cooled freshly boiled water or water filtered with 0.2 µm filters. Never leave stagnant water in the device. Empty the water tank, keep all surfaces dry, and change the water daily; and
• When handling garden soil, compost and potting mixes:

1. Wear gloves and a face mask;
2. Water gardens and compost gently using low pressure;
3. Open composted potting mixes slowly and make sure the opening is directed away from the face;
4. Wet the soil to reduce dust when potting plants; and
5. Avoid working in poorly ventilated places such as enclosed greenhouses.

     â€‹The public may visit the CHP’s LD page, the Code of Practice for Prevention of LD and the Housekeeping Guidelines for Cold and Hot Water Systems for Building Management of the Prevention of LD Committee, and the CHP’s risk-based strategy for prevention and control of LD. read more