The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     The spokesperson for the Kowloon Hospital (KH) made the following announcement today (February 27):
     
     An 81-year-old and a 75-year-old male patient in a rehabilitation ward of KH were confirmed to carry Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci (VRE) on February 18 and February 19 respectively without signs of infection. In accordance with the prevailing infection control guidelines, the hospital commenced a contact tracing investigation. Nine more male patients (aged 61 to 100) from the same ward were confirmed to be VRE carriers and asymptomatic. One patient is currently hospitalised at Queen Elizabeth Hospital for other medical needs and two patients were discharged. The remaining eight patients are being treated in isolation at the hospital with stable condition.
 
     The concerned ward has adopted the following enhanced infection control measures:
 
1. Enhanced hand hygiene and stringent contact precautions;
2. Enhanced attention to contamination-prone procedures; and
3. Enhanced disinfection and cleaning of the concerned ward.
 
     The hospital will continue the enhanced infection control measures and closely monitor the situation of the ward. The cases have been reported to the Hospital Authority Head Office and the Centre for Health Protection for necessary follow-up.

     The Transport Department (TD) announced today (February 27) that the first batch of three fully government-subsidised new vessels procured under Phase I of the Vessel Subsidy Scheme (VSS) will be gradually deployed to provide services from March 2024, operating Central – Cheung Chau, Central – Mui Wo and Central – Peng Chau routes.
      
     The Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Mr Lam Sai-hung, said when attending the launching ceremony of the new vessels, "The Government has launched the VSS to fully subsidise outlying island ferry operators to purchase new vessels, which feature the newly designed promotional logo for government-funded projects. We hope the VSS can enhance the experience of passengers while promoting environmental protection. As the 22 new vessels under Phase I of the VSS gradually arrive, we will continue to work hand in hand with the trade to provide quality ferry services for the public." 
      
     A spokesman for the TD said, "The VSS aims to improve the fleet quality and promote environmental protection, as well as enhance the experience of passengers." The new vessels will provide more comprehensive facilities, including additional breastfeeding areas and dedicated seats for passengers with pets, double or more the number of wheelchair seats as compared with existing vessels, provision of accessible toilets and mobile phone-charging facilities for some of the seats. Moreover, the new vessels were built with lightweight materials such as aluminium alloy and carbon fibre to reduce the weight of the vessels. They are also equipped with environmental-friendly engines which comply with the highest International Maritime Organization Tier III standard to reduce emission of nitrogen oxides.
      
     The Government announced in the Chief Executive's 2019 Policy Address that it would implement the VSS to fully subsidise 10 ferry routes to replace the entire existing fleet with greener vessels and newer facilities in two phases. Under Phase I of the VSS, 22 vessels will be procured for the the six major outlying island routes (including Central – Cheung Chau, Central – Mui Wo, Inter-islands, Central – Peng Chau, Central – Yung Shue Wan and Central – Sok Kwu Wan). About half of the new vessels are expected to arrive by the end of this year. 

            

     The effective exchange rate index for the Hong Kong dollar on Tuesday, February 27, 2024 is 105.1 (up 0.1 against yesterday's index).

     Police today (February 27) appealed to the public for information on a man who went missing in Cheung Chau.
      
     Chan Po-man, aged 41, went missing after he left his residence on Hing Lung Main Street on July 6, 2022. His family made a report to Police on July 8, 2022.
      
     He is about 1.65 metres tall, 86 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 white shirt, blue jeans and brown slippers.
      
     Anyone who knows the whereabouts of the missing man or who may have seen him is urged to contact Cheung Chau Division, on 3660 9431 or 6140 1140 or email to assuc-ccdiv@police.gov.hk, or contact any Police station.
     

  

     A Government spokesman said today (February 27) that the review of the Ninth Technical Memorandum for Allocation of Emission Allowances in Respect of Specified Licenses (the Ninth TM) for setting emission caps of specified pollutants for the power companies had been completed.

     The relevant technical memorandum was issued under the Air Pollution Control Ordinance. Since 2008, the Government has issued nine technical memoranda to set the total emission allowances for the electricity sector starting from 2010. The latest Ninth TM issued in 2021 caps the annual emissions of sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and respirable suspended particulates (RSPs) for power plants in 2026 and beyond at 2 852 tons, 11 144 tons and 367 tons, respectively. The emission allowances have dropped significantly by about 70 to 90 per cent as compared with those for 2010 set under the First TM.

     A spokesman for the Environment and Ecology Bureau (EEB) said, "In 2023, we reviewed the emission allowances required for the electricity sector for 2028 and beyond, and considered factors including the progress of the two power companies (the Hongkong Electric Company Limited and CLP Power Hong Kong Limited) in the construction of new gas-fired generation units to replace coal-fired generation units that will be retired in the next few years, the emission performance of the existing generation units, the estimated power import from the Daya Bay Nuclear Power Station, the projected local electricity consumption, and the projected electricity intake from various renewable energy sources. The review results show that the circumstances of these considered factors are generally consistent with those when the Ninth TM was formulated. The emission caps set by the Ninth TM for power plants are still applicable for 2028 and beyond. At this stage, there is no need to issue a new technical memorandum.
 
     "In order to comply with the emission allowances stipulated in the relevant technical memoranda, the two power companies will each complete the construction of a new gas-fired generating unit in 2024, with a view to maintaining the proportion of local gas-fired power generation in the overall fuel mix at about 50 per cent in 2026. They will also continue to acquire low-emission coal for electricity generation and maintain the performance of emission control devices to reduce emissions from coal-fired units while maximizing the input of clean energy.
 
     "For any new electricity works, we will allocate emission allowances based on the emission performance of a new gas-fired generation unit adopting the latest technology. The existing mechanism will continue to be applied to cater for the intake of renewable energy and other clean energy. The EEB will review the Ninth TM again by 2025."