â€‹Some 450 guests attended a spring reception in Tokyo, Japan, today (February 21) organised by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (Tokyo) to celebrate the Year of the Dragon.

     Speaking to guests from various sectors including Japanese political and business circles, academia, media and community groups, the Principal Hong Kong Economic and Trade Representative (Tokyo), Miss Winsome Au, said that Hong Kong and Japan have developed strong bonds and connections on many fronts.

     She noted that Hong Kong remained the second-largest export market for Japanese agricultural, forestry and fishery products in 2023, and was the fourth largest inbound tourist source market for Japan, reaching more than 2.1 million tourists for the year.

     "Our connectivity has been resuming and improving, with passenger flights operated by four Hong Kong and three Japanese carriers, linking Hong Kong to 12 Japanese airports. This enhanced connectivity opens doors not just for business, but for leisure and cultural exchanges," she added.

     On the business front, she said that there were over 9 000 companies in Hong Kong with parent companies outside of the city in 2023, marking a recovery to the pre-pandemic levels.

     "Japanese companies continued to be the largest overseas group in Hong Kong with a slight increase in number to over 1 400, accounting for 15.5 per cent of the total," she said.

     She also updated the guests on the latest developments of Hong Kong, and also shared with them the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government's initiatives to embrace the city’s enormous opportunities ahead.

     The spring reception was organised by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (Tokyo), and supported by Invest Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council and the Hong Kong Tourism Board.

              

     Regarding the Hong Kong Dental Association's concern over the Elderly Health Care Voucher Greater Bay Area Pilot Scheme (Pilot Scheme), the Health Bureau (HHB) gave the following response today (February 21):
 
     Since the launch of the Elderly Health Care Voucher Scheme at the University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital (HKU-SZH) by the Government in 2015, eligible elderly persons have been entitled to use Elderly Health Care Vouchers (EHCVs) to receive dental services at the HKU-SZH during the past eight years or so. The relevant arrangement also applies to the Huawei Li Zhi Yuan Community Health Service Center which was commissioned as an additional service point last year. To provide greater convenience to Hong Kong elderly persons, the Government rolled out the Pilot Scheme to extend the arrangement of using EHCVs for private primary healthcare services to medical institutions in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) in a bid to offer more options of service points to eligible Hong Kong elderly persons.
 
     The Government attaches great importance to the service quality of the pilot medical institutions under the Pilot Scheme. To this end, the medical institutions (including the dental institutions) were selected for inclusion through a robust process. From last November to early February this year, the HHB and the Department of Health (DH) had conducted market research, sought opinions and recommendations from the Health Commission of Guangdong Province, and conducted site visits for direct inspection of facilities, equipment and operation of the medical institutions as well as meetings with relevant senior management to gain a thorough understanding of the institutions' management structures and models as well as operation. Having taken into account eight key factors including service quality, experience in management and operation as well as fee standards and level, the Government subsequently enlisted seven high-quality pilot medical institutions (including two dental institutions) under the Pilot Scheme.
 
     To ensure the sustainability of high quality services at the pilot medical institutions, the Government is now working with various medical institutions (including the two dental institutions) on the follow-up arrangements. In particular, a training and service assurance mechanism will be established for the Pilot Scheme to cover various aspects such as service quality, training and operation, fee level, complaint machanism and patients' experience.
 
     A spokesman for the HHB stressed that the Pilot Scheme will be equipped with a comprehensive and robust monitoring mechanism as for the Elderly Health Care Voucher Scheme (EHVS) being implemented in Hong Kong. The DH will keep a close watch under the training and service assurance mechanism. Members of the public may turn to the DH and the pilot medical institutions should they have any complaints regarding the Pilot Scheme in the future. The DH is keeping contact with the health authorities of the Mainland and will solicit their assistance when necessary.
 
     The spokesman added that Hong Kong medical sector (including the dental profession) has been maintaining a high level of professionality, with quite a number of the healthcare professionals enrolled in the EHVS. Hong Kong healthcare professionals are also seen to be practising in the GBA. At present, some 1500 dentists in Hong Kong have enrolled in the EHVS, providing services at over 3300 service points. Comparing with the few service points in the GBA, local dentists are still the most accessible channel for Hong Kong elderly persons to seek dental services. The Government hopes that the dental profession would proactively promote further developments of the profession and its service, and continue joining hands with the Government in pushing forward various initiatives for strengthening the city's dental services with a view to enhancing the overall oral health of citizens.

     The Action Committee Against Narcotics (ACAN) members visited the Kwai Chung Customhouse today (February 21) to learn about the latest drug enforcement work of the Customs and Excise Department (C&ED) and expressed support to the C&ED's efforts in stepping up international co-operation.

     Accompanied by the Acting Assistant Commissioner (Intelligence and Investigation) of Customs, Mr James Wong, the ACAN members listened to presentations about the C&ED's enforcement work against maritime drug trafficking by Customs officers, and learned about how the department makes use of advanced examination equipment (such as ion scanners, raman spectrometers and mobile X-ray vehicle scanning systems) to assist its work. The members also watched a demonstration of Customs detector dogs carrying out their duty during cargo clearance.

     Mr Wong said, "Being a gate-keeper, the C&ED has all along been attaching great importance to curbing the inflow of drugs, especially through the seaborne channel, by adopting proactive risk management and intelligence-based enforcement strategies." He added, "In the face of ever-changing drug smuggling trends, partnership and co-operation with global customs administrations and other law enforcement agencies must be strengthened in order to achieve effective narcotics interdiction."

     The C&ED has always been playing an active role in regional and international drug enforcement, such as organising the Regional Customs High-level Drug Enforcement Forum and the Regional Drug Enforcement Capacity Building Workshop, which facilitated collaboration and communication among representatives of law enforcement agencies around the world last year. Between September and November 2023, the C&ED also mounted a large-scale joint operation named "Operation Marker" within the Asia-Pacific region with 31 law enforcement agencies to combat drug smuggling activities, leading to successful detection of a total of over 170 related cases in Hong Kong and other regions.  

     To further demonstrate the leading position of the department among customs organisations, the C&ED will host the 6th World Customs Organization (WCO) Global Canine Forum, with anti-narcotics work as one of the key discussion topics, in March this year to enable experts from around the world to exchange knowledge and best practices in canine training and enforcement. Subject to final confirmation by the WCO, the C&ED will put forward more initiatives to crack down on cross-boundary drug crimes after assuming the position of the WCO Vice-Chairperson for the Asia-Pacific Region in the coming July.

     The Chairman of the ACAN, Dr Donald Li, commended the relentless anti-drug efforts of the C&ED over the years. Dr Li and the ACAN members expressed full support for the C&ED's upcoming international participation in and commitment to holding the 6th Global Canine Forum and assuming the next WCO Vice-Chairperson for the Asia-Pacific Region in 2024, which will further consolidate the leadership position of the C&ED in the global customs community. He said he believed the continued collaboration between the Narcotics Division of the Security Bureau and the C&ED would contribute to combating drug problems at source and building a drug-free Hong Kong.  

      

     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) is today (February 21) investigating a case of influenza A (H9) infection affecting a 22-month-old girl.
 
     The patient has developed fever and cough with sputum since February 15 and was brought to Union Hospital for medical advice on February 16. No hospitalisation was required at that time. Her clinical specimen was tested positive for the influenza A (H9) virus today upon testing by the Public Health Laboratory Services Branch of the CHP. Subtyping result is pending. Her clinical diagnosis was avian influenza. She is in stable condition and arrangements have been made for her to be admitted to isolation ward of Princess Margaret Hospital for further treatment.
 
     Preliminary investigation of the CHP revealed that the patient had visited Zhongshan during the incubation period. The patient had no direct poultry contact recently, nor consumption of undercooked poultry, or contact with patients. One of her home contacts developed sore throat on February 17 who had taken medication and the symptom had subsided. Her other home contacts are asymptomatic so far. Investigations are ongoing.
  
    The CHP will inform the health authority of Guangdong and the World Health Organization of the case.

    Novel influenza A infection, including influenza A (H9), is a notifiable infectious disease in Hong Kong. Influenza A (H9N2) infection is a mild form of avian influenza. Nine cases of influenza A (H9N2) had been reported since 1999. The recent case was an imported case reported in 2020. No deaths have been recorded so far.
  
     A spokesman for the CHP explained that a stringent surveillance mechanism with public and private hospitals, with practising doctors and at boundary control points is firmly in place. Suspected cases will be immediately referred to public hospitals for follow-up investigation.
 
     "Travellers, especially those returning from avian influenza-affected areas and provinces with fever or respiratory symptoms, should immediately wear masks, seek medical attention and reveal their travel history to doctors. Healthcare professionals should pay special attention to patients who might have had contact with poultry, birds or their droppings in affected areas and provinces," the spokesman advised.
 
     Members of the public should remain vigilant and take heed of the preventive advice against avian influenza below:
 
* Do not visit live poultry markets. Avoid contact with poultry, birds and their droppings. If contact has been made, thoroughly wash hands with soap;
* Poultry and eggs should be thoroughly cooked before eating;
* Wash hands frequently with soap, especially before touching the mouth, nose or eyes, handling food or eating; after going to the toilet or touching public installations or equipment (including escalator handrails, elevator control panels and door knobs); or when hands are dirtied by respiratory secretions after coughing or sneezing;
* Cover the nose and mouth while sneezing or coughing, hold the spit with a tissue and put it into a covered dustbin;
* Avoid crowded places and contact with fever patients;
* Wear masks when respiratory symptoms develop or when taking care of fever patients;
* Travellers if feeling unwell when outside Hong Kong, especially if having a fever or cough, should wear a surgical mask and inform the hotel staff or tour leader and seek medical advice at once; and
* Travellers returning from affected areas with avian influenza outbreaks should consult doctors promptly if they have flu-like symptoms, and inform the doctor of the travel history and wear a surgical mask to help prevent spread of the disease.
 
     The public may visit the CHP's avian influenza page (www.chp.gov.hk/en/view_content/24244.html) and website (www.chp.gov.hk/files/pdf/global_statistics_avian_influenza_e.pdf) for more information on avian influenza-affected areas and provinces.

     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) is today (February 21) investigating a case of influenza A (H9) infection affecting a 22-month-old girl.
 
     The patient has developed fever and cough with sputum since February 15 and was brought to Union Hospital for medical advice on February 16. No hospitalisation was required at that time. Her clinical specimen was tested positive for the influenza A (H9) virus today upon testing by the Public Health Laboratory Services Branch of the CHP. Subtyping result is pending. Her clinical diagnosis was avian influenza. She is in stable condition and arrangements have been made for her to be admitted to isolation ward of Princess Margaret Hospital for further treatment.
 
     Preliminary investigation of the CHP revealed that the patient had visited Zhongshan during the incubation period. The patient had no direct poultry contact recently, nor consumption of undercooked poultry, or contact with patients. One of her home contacts developed sore throat on February 17 who had taken medication and the symptom had subsided. Her other home contacts are asymptomatic so far. Investigations are ongoing.
  
    The CHP will inform the health authority of Guangdong and the World Health Organization of the case.

    Novel influenza A infection, including influenza A (H9), is a notifiable infectious disease in Hong Kong. Influenza A (H9N2) infection is a mild form of avian influenza. Nine cases of influenza A (H9N2) had been reported since 1999. The recent case was an imported case reported in 2020. No deaths have been recorded so far.
  
     A spokesman for the CHP explained that a stringent surveillance mechanism with public and private hospitals, with practising doctors and at boundary control points is firmly in place. Suspected cases will be immediately referred to public hospitals for follow-up investigation.
 
     "Travellers, especially those returning from avian influenza-affected areas and provinces with fever or respiratory symptoms, should immediately wear masks, seek medical attention and reveal their travel history to doctors. Healthcare professionals should pay special attention to patients who might have had contact with poultry, birds or their droppings in affected areas and provinces," the spokesman advised.
 
     Members of the public should remain vigilant and take heed of the preventive advice against avian influenza below:
 
* Do not visit live poultry markets. Avoid contact with poultry, birds and their droppings. If contact has been made, thoroughly wash hands with soap;
* Poultry and eggs should be thoroughly cooked before eating;
* Wash hands frequently with soap, especially before touching the mouth, nose or eyes, handling food or eating; after going to the toilet or touching public installations or equipment (including escalator handrails, elevator control panels and door knobs); or when hands are dirtied by respiratory secretions after coughing or sneezing;
* Cover the nose and mouth while sneezing or coughing, hold the spit with a tissue and put it into a covered dustbin;
* Avoid crowded places and contact with fever patients;
* Wear masks when respiratory symptoms develop or when taking care of fever patients;
* Travellers if feeling unwell when outside Hong Kong, especially if having a fever or cough, should wear a surgical mask and inform the hotel staff or tour leader and seek medical advice at once; and
* Travellers returning from affected areas with avian influenza outbreaks should consult doctors promptly if they have flu-like symptoms, and inform the doctor of the travel history and wear a surgical mask to help prevent spread of the disease.
 
     The public may visit the CHP's avian influenza page (www.chp.gov.hk/en/view_content/24244.html) and website (www.chp.gov.hk/files/pdf/global_statistics_avian_influenza_e.pdf) for more information on avian influenza-affected areas and provinces.