The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:
 
     As at noon today (January 4), in the past 24 hours, public hospitals have admitted three patients (one male and two female), who have been to Wuhan in the past 14 days and presented with fever and respiratory infection or pneumonia symptoms, aged 4-50. The patients are being treated under isolation in the Prince of Wales Hospital, Tseung Kwan O Hospital and Tuen Mun Hospital now. The Hospital Authority (HA) has reported the cases and sent the specimen to the Department of Health (DH) for testing. The concerned patients are in stable condition. The HA will keep monitoring the patients' condition and provide appropriate treatment.

     Including the above-mentioned cases, public hospitals have reported eight concerned patient cases to DH since December 31, 2019. Five of them have been discharged.

     The Secretary for Justice, Ms Teresa Cheng, SC, will depart for Guangzhou tomorrow (January 5) to attend a Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area judicial case seminar to be held the next day.
 
     The seminar will be held for the first time at the High People's Court of Guangdong Province, aiming to implement the Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and strengthen the collaborations between the three places, and pursuant to the Framework Arrangement on legal exchange and mutual learning in legal aspects between Hong Kong and Guangdong entered into by the Department of Justice and the High People's Court of Guangdong Province in September 2019. Judges, lawyers, experts and academics from Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao will take part in the seminar.
 
     Mock trials, to be conducted according to different modes of trial in the three places with the same set of case facts, will form the main part of the seminar. It will be concluded by a discussion and exchange session to enhance the participants' understanding of the three legal and judicial systems.
 
     Ms Cheng will return to Hong Kong in the evening on January 6.

     A boy who went missing in Chai Wan has been located.

     Cheng Ho-tin, aged 16, went missing after he left a hostel on Holy Cross Path on December 25, 2019. Staff of the hostel made a report to Police on the same day.

     Police located the boy on Fung Kam Street, Yuen Long last night (January 3).

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     The Hospital Authority (HA) spokesperson today (January 4) announced the activation of the Serious Response Level in public hospitals with immediate effect to tie in with the Government launching the Preparedness and Response Plan for Novel Infectious Disease of Public Health Significance, and raising the response level from "Alert" to "Serious".
 
     Following an ad hoc meeting of the HA Central Committee on Infectious Disease and Emergency Responses on the latest situation of cluster of cases of viral pneumonia with unknown cause in Wuhan this morning, a series of measures to enhance monitoring and infection control in public hospitals and clinics will be implemented with immediate effect.
 
     The HA spokesperson said that frontline healthcare staff of public hospitals have been reminded to pay special attention to patient's clinical information, including the presentation of fever and acute respiratory illness, or pneumonia, and travel history to Wuhan within 14 days before onset of symptoms.
 
     The spokesperson also stressed that any suspected case will be isolated in negative pressure isolation room for treatment with urgent laboratory investigation will be arranged immediately.
 
     "Under the Serious Response Level, more stringent infection control measures are enforced in public hospitals including visiting arrangement. There is no visiting at isolation wards unless on compassionate ground. For general acute wards, visiting hours would be not more than two hours per day and not more than two visitors per visit. For convalescent and infirmary wards, visiting hours would be not more than four hours per day and not more than two visitors per visit."
 
     The spokesperson also reminded all visitors to public hospitals and clinics are now required to put on surgical masks and perform hand hygiene before and after visiting patient.

     Volunteer service and clinical attachment arrangement in public hospitals will be decided in accordance to the latest situation. On personal protection equipment, such as surgical mask and N95 mask, the current stockpile is adequate for three months' consumption. HA will also maintain a close liaison with the suppliers to ensure a sustainable supply. The isolation beds in the seven hospital clusters will be deployed when needed.
 
     The HA would continue to closely collaborate with the Centre for Health Protection in monitoring the latest situation and keep the general public as well as healthcare workers updated on developments on a regular basis.

The following is issued on behalf of the Family Council:
 
     Students, parents and schools were commended today (January 4) at the award presentation ceremony of "The But's Family Inter-school Colouring Competition for Kindergarten Students and Picture Composition Competition for Primary School Students" co-organised by the Home Affairs Bureau and the Family Council.
 
     Speaking at the ceremony, the Chairman of the Family Council, Professor Daniel Shek, said the Family Council aims to promote the culture of loving families to students of kindergartens, primary schools and their parents through the competition. The competition was well received, with more than 19,000 entries submitted under three categories, namely Kindergarten, Junior Primary and Senior Primary. For each category, an adjudication panel selected a champion, a first runner-up, a second runner-up and 10 merit awardees. The schools with the highest number of entries for each category received "The Most Active Participating School Award". As well, a public voting exercise was held on the Facebook page of the Family Council from October to November 2019. The top three entries in each category with the most votes received "The Most Liked Award". The awardees' lists have been uploaded onto the Council's Happy Family Info Hub.
 
     The Family Council also launched a storybook, "The Secret of the But's Dinner" at the ceremony. Written by experienced parent-child relationship expert Ms Shirley Loo and designed by local illustrator Ms Jan Koon, the storybook is suitable for reading by children under the guidance of their parents or elder family members. The story is a rich and light-hearted tale, designed to illustrate the importance of communication among family members and the sharing of love with each other. The e-version and theme song of the storybook and interactive activity book have been uploaded onto the Council's Happy Family Info Hub to create more common topics and foster exchanges between parents and their children to help build a more intimate relationship. The storybook will also be distributed free of charge to the libraries of all kindergartens and primary schools in Hong Kong.
 
     A series of storytelling workshops for the storybook, "The Secret of the But's Dinner", will be arranged for kindergarten students from January to March 2020. Each workshop will include a storytelling session, interactive games, theme song singing and more to strengthen students' understanding of family core values such as "Love and Care". Members of the public are welcome to visit the Council's Happy Family Info Hub and the Council's Facebook page for details of the publicity event and other upcoming family programmes as well as family-related information.