Hongkong Post today (May 21) announced that six sets of special stamps will be issued from July to December 2022, offering an extraordinary collection of stamps encompassing a variety of themes and stamp products of impressive designs, which involve significant occasions of Hong Kong and local arts and culture to philatelists and the public.
      
     The commemorative stamps on "The 25th Anniversary of the Establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region" and "The 25th Anniversary of the Stationing of the Chinese People's Liberation Army in Hong Kong" will first be released in July. The year 2022 marks the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). With the implementation of the Hong Kong National Security Law and the improvement to the electoral system, the "one country, two systems" principle is steadfastly being implemented. Since the Chinese People's Liberation Army Hong Kong Garrison stationing in the HKSAR, it has upheld the principle of "one country, two systems", the Basic Law, the Law of the People's Republic of China on the Garrisoning of the HKSAR and the National Security Law, and fulfilled the responsibility to safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests, providing the foundation for the prosperity and stability of Hong Kong. Hongkong Post will issue commemorative stamp products to feature the prosperity and development of Hong Kong over the years to mark these special occasions.
      
     Fruits are the best food in the summer time as they are rich in nutrition, good for health, bright in colour and sweet in taste. There are a wide range of fruits grown in Hong Kong. Hongkong Post will issue a set of special stamps in six denominations, a stamp sheetlet and other philatelic products on the theme of "Fruits" to bring people a cool summer.
      
     Hong Kong culture is diversified and multifaceted. The Hong Kong cheongsam making technique was inscribed onto the First Intangible Cultural Heritage Inventory of Hong Kong and the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Hong Kong in 2014 and 2017 respectively. It was further inscribed onto the Fifth National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2021. Cheongsam has a long history. The sewing technique of women's cheongsam took up both Eastern and Western costume designs after it became popular in Hong Kong, resulting in the uniqueness in the Hong Kong cheongsam making technique. Hongkong Post will issue special stamps on the theme of "Hong Kong Cheongsam Making Technique" to exhibit the outstanding historical and cultural value of this craftsmanship.
      
     Comic-themed stamps will make a comeback. Hongkong Post will issue special stamps on the theme of "Miss 13 Dots Comics", a renowned comic in Hong Kong. Miss 13 Dots, the heroine, is an independent, avant-garde and trendy girl, rendering the comic phenomenal and one of the local classic comics still being recounted with relish.
      
     Hongkong Post will also issue special stamps on the theme of "Dinosaurs", showing several species of dinosaurs from the Jurassic and Cretaceous eras to explore the mystery of these prehistoric species with members of the public.
      
     Customers may place advance orders for the above new stamp products from today on Hongkong Post's online shopping mall "ShopThruPost" (shopthrupost.hongkongpost.hk). Customers may also visit Facebook page "郵票．郵趣@Hongkong Post Stamps" (www.facebook.com/HKPStamps) for more details. Customers who place orders by June 9 (Thursday) will receive attractive gifts and bonus points. Further information about placing orders can be obtained from the Hongkong Post Stamps website or by calling the Hongkong Post Philatelic Bureau hotline at 2785 5711.

     A Government spokesman announced today (May 21) that the supply of fresh food from the Mainland yesterday (May 20) 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 2 600 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 over 866 tonnes. The average wholesale prices of choi sum and pak choi stood at $5.60 and $4.70 per catty respectively yesterday, lower than their average daily wholesale prices last year. The supply of eggs to the wholesale market was normal, with the average daily supply standing at over 2.7 million for the past week.

     The total supply of chilled meat from the Mainland yesterday was over 42 tonnes. The supply of live pigs was plentiful.

     The supply of chilled poultry from the Mainland was over 150 000 head yesterday, and over 9 000 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-March 2022 was 27 300 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).

     The Government yesterday (May 20) 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 6pm yesterday, under which people (hereafter referred to as "persons subject to compulsory testing") within the specified "restricted area" in Siu Sai Wan (i.e. Ngar Tsui House, Hiu Tsui Court, Siu Sai Wan) were required to stay in their premises and undergo compulsory testing. Persons subject to compulsory testing were required to stay in their premises until all such persons identified in the "restricted area" had undergone testing and the test results were mostly ascertained. 

     Moreover, the Government issued a compulsory testing notice yesterday, requiring persons who had been present at the above building for more than two hours from May 14 to 20, 2022, even if they were not present in the "restricted area" at the time when the declaration took effect, to undergo compulsory testing on or before May 22, 2022. The Government finished the compulsory testing exercise at around 8am today (May 21) and carried out enforcement action in the "restricted area" afterwards to verify that all people in the "restricted area" had undergone compulsory testing in accordance with the requirements of the relevant declaration and compulsory testing notice. The Government announced that the enforcement operation ended at around 9.30am today. 

     The Government provided food packs for persons subject to compulsory testing, so as to facilitate the meal arrangements of some persons subject to compulsory testing. Anti-epidemic proprietary Chinese medicines donated by the Central People's Government or procured with the co-ordination of the Central People's Government and rapid test kits were also provided to persons subject to compulsory testing to help them fight against the virus. 

     The Home Affairs Department also set up a hotline for people restricted by the declaration to make enquiries and seek assistance. 

     The Government thanks persons subject to compulsory testing for their support and understanding. With everyone's co-operation and efforts, coupled with the efforts of the testing contractors throughout the night, residents have been informed about their testing results by SMS notification. After finishing the compulsory testing exercise at around 8am today, the Government took enforcement action in the "restricted area" immediately to verify that all people in the "restricted area" had undergone testing according to the requirements of the declaration and the compulsory testing notice. Persons who could present an SMS notification containing a negative testing result as proof of having undergone the compulsory testing could leave the "restricted area" through the designated exit after providing personal information to a prescribed officer. The enforcement operation was completed at around 9.30am. Test records of around 175 persons subject to compulsory testing were checked. Two persons were found not having undergone compulsory testing and compulsory testing orders were issued to them. Taking into account the above situation, the Secretary for Food and Health revoked the "restriction-testing declaration" in accordance with Cap. 599J (see attachment). 

     The Government reminds the 37 households who have not answered the door to undergo a nucleic acid test as soon as possible after reading the notices put up by the Government, in the hope of eliminating the possible risk of further spread of the virus in the community. 

     The Government thanks all participating government staff and the testing agencies for their hard work. The Government is also grateful to those subject to compulsory testing for their support and understanding, and their full co-operation during this period in undergoing testing and waiting for the results at home. 

     The Government will seriously follow up on the compliance situation of the compulsory testing notices and the "restriction-testing declaration" by persons subject to compulsory testing. 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. 

  

     The Government announced today (May 21) that uninfected individuals aged 18 to 59 who are at higher risk of COVID-19 exposure or with personal needs may choose to receive a fourth dose of COVID-19 vaccine from now on, no matter they have received the BioNTech or the Sinovac vaccine for their previous doses.

     As the online booking system is being updated, from today until May 25, persons who are eligible for a fourth dose of COVID-19 vaccine may go to Community Vaccination Centres (CVCs) (except those located at private hospitals and the Satellite Community Vaccination Centre at Leighton Centre) or Hospital COVID-19 Vaccination Stations (HCVSs) to get a same-day ticket for vaccination.

     Starting from 8am on May 26, members of the public can make reservations for vaccination through the designated website of the COVID-19 Vaccination Programme (www.covidvaccine.gov.hk).

     For individuals aged 18 to 59 who choose to receive a fourth dose of COVID-19 vaccine, please note that in response to expert advice, they may choose to receive a fourth dose at least six months from their third dose. For recovered adults in the same age group, now they can receive their third dose six months after they have received their second dose or their recovery (whichever is later).

     "Experts considered a fourth dose of COVID-19 vaccine in younger populations may provide transient additional protection against infection and symptomatic diseases. Some people may want to receive a fourth dose due to personal needs, such as studying abroad or aiming to fulfill a requirement for overseas travel. Moreover, for persons with higher risk of COVID-19 exposure (including workers in healthcare settings, residential care homes for the elderly or residential care homes for persons with disabilities) or workers at increased risk for COVID-19 exposure and transmission because of occupational setting (such as personnel participating in anti-epidemic related work; personnel providing cross-boundary transportation or working at control points and ports), they may also choose to receive their fourth dose. As for persons aged 60 or above, they have been allowed to choose to get vaccinated with their fourth dose since early April," a Government spokesman said.

     The updated consensus interim recommendations by the Scientific Committee on Vaccine Preventable Diseases and the Scientific Committee on Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases under the Centre for Health Protection are available in the following press release: www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202205/20/P2022052000284.htm

     Apart from the 26 CVCs and 13 HCVSs, members of the public can also choose to receive the vaccination for free at 43 designated general out-patient clinics of the Hospital Authority, over 1 000 private doctors and clinics providing the Sinovac vaccination service, and the 75 venues operated by private healthcare institutions providing the BioNTech vaccine, and more.

     The Government yesterday (May 20) 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 6pm yesterday, under which people (hereafter referred to as "persons subject to compulsory testing") within the specified "restricted area" in Siu Sai Wan (i.e. Ngar Tsui House, Hiu Tsui Court, Siu Sai Wan) were 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.

     In addition, the Government issued a compulsory testing notice yesterday to any person who had been present at the building for more than two hours from May 14 to 20, 2022 to undergo compulsory testing on or before May 22, 2022, even if they were not present in the "restricted area" at the time when the declaration took effect. The Government finished the compulsory testing exercise at around 8am today (May 21) and is now carrying out enforcement actions in the "restricted area" to verify that all people in the "restricted area" have undergone compulsory testing. The Government will further announce the revocation time of the declaration.

     Starting from around 8am today, persons in the specified "restricted area" in Siu Sai Wan who have undergone testing and are able to present SMS notifications with negative test results as proof of having undergone testing may leave the "restricted area" through the designated exit after providing personal information to a prescribed officer.

     The Government set up temporary specimen collection stations in the "restricted area" yesterday and requested persons subject to compulsory testing to collect combined nasal and throat swab samples at the stations to undergo a COVID-19 virus test before 12am today. Around 750 people within the "restricted area" had undergone testing, among which no cases tested positive were found. The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health will arrange to follow up.

     Moreover, the Government also assigned staff to visit around 330 households within the "restricted area", among which 37 households did not answer the door. The Government will take measures to follow up.

     The Government reiterates that enforcement actions will be taken seriously. Any person who fails to present an SMS notification with a test result as proof of having undergone testing breaches the compulsory testing notice and may be liable to a fine of $10,000. The person will also be issued with a compulsory testing order, requiring him/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.