The Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Christopher Hui, will depart for Shanghai tomorrow (June 19) to attend the 2024 Lujiazui Forum.

     This year's forum will take place on June 19 and 20 under the theme "Promoting World Economic Growth with High-quality Financial Development". Mr Hui will address the second plenary session "Strengthening International Monetary Policy Coordination and Addressing the Challenges of Global Economic Recovery" on June 19, sharing his views on how to cope with challenges and promote market development under the current international monetary policy from three perspectives, namely global monetary policy and real economic performance, financial stability and financial market development.

     The 15th Lujiazui Forum, co-hosted by the Shanghai Municipal People's Government, the People's Bank of China, the National Financial Regulatory Administration and the China Securities Regulatory Commission, is an authoritative financial forum in the country and an influential international platform for high-level financial dialogues. A number of top government officials and leaders of financial regulators from the country and abroad, heads of international financial organisations and financial institutions as well as renowned experts and scholars have been invited to speak at the forum to offer their unique insights.
 
     During his stay, Mr Hui will visit a local financial market institution and fintech enterprises.

     The Permanent Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury (Financial Services), Ms Salina Yan, will also attend the 2024 Luijiazui Forum and join other programmes of the visit.

     Mr Hui will return to Hong Kong in the evening on June 20. During his absence, the Under Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Joseph Chan, will act as the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury.

     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health is today (June 18) investigating a fatal case of paediatric influenza A infection and reminded the community to heighten vigilance against influenza.

     The case involves an 8-year-old girl with good past health. She developed a fever and vomiting since June 16. She was taken to a general practitioner the next day (June 17) and subsequently to Caritas Medical Centre (CMC) for medical attention. She developed cardiac arrest at the accident and emergency department of CMC and passed away on the same day. Her respiratory specimen was positive for influenza A (H3) virus upon laboratory testing.

     Initial enquiries by the CHP revealed that the patient had no travel history during the incubation period. Her home contacts are currently asymptomatic and the school she studied in did not report any outbreak of upper respiratory tract infection and influenza recently. The CHP's investigations are ongoing, including further investigations on the patient’s cause of death.

     A spokesman for the CHP said, "Influenza can cause serious illnesses in high-risk individuals and even healthy persons. Seasonal influenza vaccination (SIV) is one of the most effective means to prevent seasonal influenza and its complications, as well as reducing influenza-related hospitalisation and death. SIV is recommended for all persons aged 6 months or above except those with known contraindications. Persons at higher risk of getting influenza and its complications, including the elderly and children, should receive SIV early. The seasonal influenza vaccines for this season will expire starting from July this year and the 2024/25 SIV programme is expected to start in September.

     â€‹"Members of the public who have not received the SIV can still get vaccinated before the expiry of the influenza vaccine of this influenza season (i.e. July/August). Nevertheless, please remember that even if you get vaccinated now, you should still take the latest SIV in the new SIV programme (from October this year), so as to be protected during the influenza season in the next year. Please see details of the vaccination schemes on the CHP's website."

     A person who gets influenza and COVID-19 at the same time may be more seriously ill and would have a higher risk of death. It is important to receive both SIV and COVID-19 vaccination as soon as possible, in particular for children and elderly persons residing in the community or residential care homes. The public should also maintain good personal and environmental hygiene against influenza and other respiratory illnesses, and note the following:
 

• Surgical masks can prevent transmission of respiratory viruses from ill persons. It is essential for persons who are symptomatic (even if having mild symptoms) to wear a surgical mask;
• For high-risk persons (e.g. persons with underlying medical conditions or persons who are immunocompromised), wear a surgical mask when visiting public places. The public should also wear a surgical mask when taking public transport or staying in crowded places. It is important to wear a mask properly, including performing hand hygiene before wearing and after removing a mask;
• Avoid touching one's eyes, mouth and nose;
• Wash hands with liquid soap and water properly whenever possibly contaminated;
• When hands are not visibly soiled, clean them with 70 to 80 per cent alcohol-based handrub;
• Cover the mouth and nose with tissue paper when sneezing or coughing. Dispose of soiled tissue paper properly into a lidded rubbish bin, and wash hands thoroughly afterwards;
• Maintain good indoor ventilation;
• When having respiratory symptoms, wear a surgical mask, refrain from work or attending classes at school, avoid going to crowded places and seek medical advice promptly; and
• Maintain a balanced diet, perform physical activity regularly, take adequate rest, do not smoke and avoid overstress.

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     â€‹The public may visit the CHP's influenza page and weekly COVID-19 & Flu Express for more information. 

     Police today (June 18) appealed to the public for information on a man who went missing in Tuen Mun.

     Lam Tak-ip, aged 31, went missing after he was last seen at Leung King Estate on May 30 night. His family made a report to Police yesterday (June 17).
        
     He is about 1.7 metres tall, 80 kilograms in weight and of fat build. He has a round face with yellow complexion and short black hair. He was last seen wearing a dark colour short-sleeved t-shirt, dark colour jeans and black shoes.

     Anyone who knows the whereabouts of the missing man or may have seen him is urged to contact the Regional Missing Persons Unit of New Territories North on 3661 3128 or email to rmpu-ntn-1@police.gov.hk, or contact any police station.

     Lam Tak-ip, aged 31, is about 1.7 metres tall, 80 kilograms in weight and of fat build. He has a round face with yellow complexion and short black hair. He was last seen wearing a dark colour short-sleeved t-shirt, dark colour jeans and black shoes.

  

     â€‹Hong Kong Customs seized about 264 kilograms of suspected liquid methamphetamine with an estimated market value of about $140 million in Fanling on May 29.

     Through risk assessment, Customs on that day searched a warehouse in Fanling. Among 60 boxes of chili sauce inside the warehouse, 22 of them were found concealed with a total of 264 bottles of suspected liquid methamphetamine disguised in chili sauce packaging. Each bottle of the drugs weighed about 1kg, the total weight of the seizure was about 264kg and the estimated market value was of about $140 million. A batch of suspected chemicals and suspected drug paraphernalia were also seized at the scene.  

     A follow-up investigation led to the arrest of a 50-year-old man and a 29-year-old man, who are suspected to be connected with the case.

     The two arrested men will be charged with trafficking in a dangerous drug. The likelihood of further arrests is not ruled out.

     Under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, trafficking in a dangerous drug is a serious offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $5 million and life imprisonment.

     Members of the public may report any suspected drug trafficking activities to Customs' 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).

    

     The Labour Department (LD) is highly concerned about a fatal work accident that happened at a depot in Yuen Long yesterday afternoon (June 17), in which a male worker was hit by metal I-beams while assisting in lifting a bundle of the I-beams. He was certified dead later in hospital. The LD is saddened by the death of the worker and expresses its deepest sympathy to his family.

     The LD's spokesman said, "We commenced an immediate on-site investigation as soon as we were notified of the accident and issued suspension notices to the employer and contractors concerned, suspending the handling of I-beams at the depot. The employer and contractors cannot resume the work process until the LD is satisfied that measures to abate the relevant risks have been taken."

      The spokesman added, "We will complete the investigation as soon as possible to identify the cause of the accident, ascertain the liability of the duty holders and recommend improvement measures. We will take actions pursuant to the law if there is any violation of the work safety legislation."

     The general duty provisions of the Occupational Safety and Health Ordinance require employers to provide safe working environments, plant and systems of work for their employees. Those who contravene the relevant provisions are liable to a maximum fine of $10 million and imprisonment for two years on conviction on indictment; or $3 million and imprisonment for six months on summary conviction.

     In regard to yesterday's accident, the LD will issue a Work Safety Alert through its mobile application "OSH 2.0", website and email, giving a brief account of the accident concerned to duty holders, workers' unions, professional bodies of safety practitioners and others, and reminding the industry of the importance of following safety precautionary measures to prevent a recurrence of similar accidents.

     The LD will also remind the employer concerned of the liability for employees' compensation under the Employees' Compensation Ordinance, assist family members of the deceased to claim employees' compensation and closely follow up on the case. For those with financial difficulties, the LD will assist them to apply for appropriate emergency funds. Subject to the needs and wishes of family members of the deceased, the LD will also liaise with the Social Welfare Department for financial or other assistance.

     For the sake of securing the safety and health of employees at work, the LD appeals to employers to provide plant and systems of work that are safe and without risks to health. Employees should co-operate with their employers, adopt all safety measures and properly use personal protective equipment provided to avoid endangering their own work safety and that of other workers.