The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health is today (February 9) following up three new Candida auris carrier cases at a residential care home for the elderly (RCHE) in Kwai Chung, and reminded members of the public about the proper use of antimicrobials and maintaining personal hygiene against infection.

     The CHP received notification from the Hospital Authority that a 97-year-old male resident of the aforementioned RCHE, who was earlier admitted to Princess Margaret Hospital, was confirmed on February 3 to have carried Candida auris upon testing. He is now in stable condition and has been discharged. Upon receiving the notification, the CHP conducted contact tracing and screening at the RCHE and found another two carrier cases involving two male residents, aged 88 and 97, who are now in stable condition. All three residents, with underlying illnesses, have no symptoms of infection.

     The CHP announced a cluster of Candida auris carrier cases in June last year involving three residents at that RCHE. Except for the 86-year-old female resident who has passed away, the other two female residents, aged 74 and 88, are still living in the RCHE. Together with these two earlier cases, there are currently five Candida auris carrier cases at the RCHE.

     The CHP is continuing its investigation on the infection source of the cluster and a site inspection has been conducted. It is found that the RCHE has yet to fully implement relevant infection control measures and thus the possibility of transmission in the RCHE is not ruled out.

     The CHP has provided infection control advice and training to staff of the RCHE. The RCHE is advised to follow the prevailing guidelines to enhance infection control measures including appropriate placement of carrier residents, strict implementation of contact precautions, enhancement of environmental cleansing and disinfection, use of dedicated medical equipment, toilet and bathing facilities to prevent the spread of Candida auris. The CHP will keep in close liaison with the RCHE concerned and monitor the situation of the residents, and ensure the RCHE has carried out the various infection control measures.

     A spokesman for the CHP explained that Candida is a fungus commonly found in the natural environment, particularly in moist and warm environments. In humans, it is commonly found in body sites such as the oral cavity, the digestive tract, the skin and the vagina. It is a common fungus living on or in the human body but can occasionally cause infections, especially in individuals with impaired immunity.

     â€‹Among the different candida species, Candida auris is more drug-resistant. Infections vary from being mild to potentially life-threatening or fatal, depending on which part of the body is affected and the general health condition of the patient. The spokesman stressed that proper use of antimicrobials and maintaining personal hygiene, especially hand hygiene, are crucial to the prevention of the emergence and cross-transmission of Candida auris.

     The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Brussels (HKETO, Brussels) is providing support to the Hong Kong Trade Development Council for the DesignInspire in Motion exhibition currently taking place in Paris.

     Speaking at the launching event on February 7 (Paris time), Deputy Representative of the HKETO, Brussels, Ms Grace Li highlighted the vibrant urban life and rich cultural heritage of Hong Kong, which serve as sources of inspiration for local designers and artists. Ms Li added, "The Government supports the development of creative industries in Hong Kong through nurturing talent, fostering a conducive environment for artistic growth, promoting Hong Kong's arts and culture to all corners of the world and building people-to-people connections."

     DesignInspire in Motion showcases Hong Kong's creative excellence through the works, including product and graphic design projects, art installations, digital art and creative photography, of six Hong Kong designers who found inspiration in the daily urban life of Hong Kong.

     In addition to the six designers, the exhibition also presents the works of Hong Kong's comics artist Pen So, featuring six of his black-and-white drawings that depict scenes from the local cityscape. The drawings are part of the touring pop-up exhibition "Wanderers' Land-Cityscapes in Hong Kong" curated by the Hong Kong Arts Centre.

     The exhibition is open to the public from January 31 to February 26 at Galeries Lafayette Haussmann.

      

     The Immigration Department (ImmD) mounted a series of territory-wide anti-illegal worker operations codenamed "Twilight" and joint operations with the Hong Kong Police Force and the Labour Department to combat illegal employment activities at Lunar New Year fairs for four consecutive days from February 5 to yesterday (February 8). A total of five suspected illegal workers, three suspected employers and one suspected aider and abettor were arrested.

     During the anti-illegal worker operations, ImmD Task Force officers raided 49 target locations including commercial buildings, garages, guest houses, premises under renovation and residential buildings. One suspected illegal worker and one suspected aider and abettor were arrested. The former was a 26-year-old man, while the latter was a 48-year-old woman who was suspected of aiding and abetting a person who breached the condition of his stay in Hong Kong.

     Furthermore, during the anti-illegal worker operations at Lunar New Year fairs, enforcement officers raided target stalls at eight Lunar New Year fairs. Four suspected illegal workers and three suspected employers were arrested. The arrested suspected illegal workers comprised two men and two women, aged 42 to 63. One man and two women, aged 31 to 74, were suspected of employing the illegal workers and were also arrested. Apart from mounting enforcement operations, ImmD officers and a promotional vehicle have been deployed to distribute "Don't Employ Illegal Workers" leaflets and convey the message to stall owners.

     An ImmD spokesman said, "Any person who contravenes a condition of stay in force in respect of him or her shall be guilty of an offence. Also, visitors are not allowed to take employment in Hong Kong, whether paid or unpaid, without the permission of the Director of Immigration. Offenders are liable to prosecution and upon conviction face a maximum fine of $50,000 and up to two years' imprisonment. Aiders and abettors are also liable to prosecution and penalties."

     The spokesman warned, "As stipulated in section 38AA of the Immigration Ordinance, an illegal immigrant, a person who is the subject of a removal order or a deportation order, an overstayer or a person who was refused permission to land is prohibited from taking any employment, whether paid or unpaid, or establishing or joining in any business. Offenders are liable upon conviction to a maximum fine of $50,000 and up to three years' imprisonment."

     The spokesman reiterated that it is a serious offence to employ people who are not lawfully employable. Under the Immigration Ordinance, the maximum penalty for an employer employing a person who is not lawfully employable, i.e. an illegal immigrant, a person who is the subject of a removal order or a deportation order, an overstayer or a person who was refused permission to land, has been significantly increased from a fine of $350,000 and three years' imprisonment to a fine of $500,000 and 10 years' imprisonment to reflect the gravity of such offences. The director, manager, secretary, partner, etc, of the company concerned may also bear criminal liability. The High Court has laid down sentencing guidelines that the employer of an illegal worker should be given an immediate custodial sentence.

     According to the court sentencing, employers must take all practicable steps to determine whether a person is lawfully employable prior to employment. Apart from inspecting a prospective employee's identity card, the employer has the explicit duty to make enquiries regarding the person and ensure that the answers would not cast any reasonable doubt concerning the lawful employability of the person. The court will not accept failure to do so as a defence in proceedings. It is also an offence if an employer fails to inspect the job seeker's valid travel document if the job seeker does not have a Hong Kong permanent identity card. Offenders are liable upon conviction to a maximum fine of $150,000 and to imprisonment for one year. In that connection, the spokesman would like to remind all employers not to defy the law by employing illegal workers. The ImmD will continue to take resolute enforcement action to combat such offences.

     Under the existing mechanism, the ImmD will, as a standard procedure, conduct initial screening of vulnerable persons, including illegal workers, illegal immigrants, sex workers and foreign domestic helpers, who are arrested during any operation with a view to ascertaining whether they are trafficking in persons (TIP) victims. When any TIP indicator is revealed in the initial screening, the ImmD officers will conduct a full debriefing and identification by using a standardised checklist to ascertain the presence of TIP elements, such as threats and coercion in the recruitment phase and the nature of exploitation. Identified TIP victims will be provided with various forms of support and assistance, including urgent intervention, medical services, counselling, shelter or temporary accommodation and other supporting services. The ImmD calls on TIP victims to report crimes to the relevant departments immediately.

      

     â€‹The year-end caring visits in 18 districts co-ordinated by the Home Affairs Department continued today (February 9). Principal Officials (POs) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government continued to pay visits to grassroots families in various districts today, including Kwun Tong, Kowloon City, Tuen Mun, Yau Tsim Mong and Tsuen Wan Districts, to distribute blessing bags in celebration of the Chinese New Year.
      
     Accompanied by the District Officer (Kwun Tong), Mr Denny Ho, the Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, together with Kwun Tong District Council members and representatives from the District Services and Community Care Team (Kwun Tong), visited an elderly singleton, a person with disabilities and an elderly couple living in Tak Tin Estate, Lam Tin, to chat with them. Chinese New Year blessing bags were distributed to the families with an aim to deliver the HKSAR Government's seasonal greetings and celebrate the festive joy with citizens. Accompanied by the District Officer (Kowloon City), Miss Alice Choi, the Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Mr Erick Tsang Kwok-wai, together with Kowloon City District Council members and representatives from Care Teams (Kowloon City), visited ethnic-minority families living in Mei King Street, To Kwa Wan, and Ka Wai Chuen, Hung Hom, to learn about their daily lives and needs, and presented them with blessing bags to share the festive joy of the Chinese New Year together.
      
     Accompanied by the District Officer (Kwun Tong), Mr Denny Ho, the Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Mr Tse Chin-wan, together with Kwun Tong District Council members and representatives from the Care Team (Kwun Tong), visited an elderly singleton and an elderly couple living in Tsui Ping (South) Estate, Kwun Tong. Accompanied by the District Officer (Yau Tsim Mong), Mr Edward Yu, the Secretary for Housing, Ms Winnie Ho, together with a Yau Tsim Mong District Council member and a representative from the Care Team (Yau Tsim Mong), visited singleton elderly people living in Tai Kok Tsui subdivided flats.
      
     In addition, accompanied by the District Officer (Tsuen Wan), Mr Billy Au, the Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin, together with Tsuen Wan District Council members and representatives from the Care Team (Tsuen Wan), visited and sent festive fruits to an ethnic-minority household and presented blessing bags to elderly households living in Shek Wai Kok Estate, Tsuen Wan. Accompanied by the District Officer (Tuen Mun), ​Mr Michael Kwan, the Acting Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Joseph Chan, together with Tuen Mun District Council members and representatives from the Care Team (Tuen Mun), visited elderly couples and an elderly singleton living in Tai Hing Estate, Tuen Mun.
      
     POs of the Government paid visits to elderly people and grassroots families in 18 districts for three consecutive days (February 7 to 9) to distribute Chinese New Year blessing bags on behalf of the HKSAR Government to share the festive joy with citizens.

                

     In view of the cold weather, the Home Affairs Department has opened 18 temporary cold shelters in various districts today (February 9) for people in need of the service. The temporary shelters will remain open when the Cold Weather Warning is in force.

     Clean mattresses and blankets/quilts, hot meals and hot water will be provided to shelter users free of charge during the opening of temporary shelters.

     To ensure that cold shelter users can rest in a quiet and undisturbed environment, members of the public or agencies wishing to make donations to shelter users are requested to register with the staff of the shelter first. Donors will then be directed to place the donated items at a specified indoor location. The staff will help notify the shelter users to collect the items on their own.

     Anyone seeking temporary refuge or with any questions about the donation arrangements at the cold shelters may call the department's hotline 2572 8427 for more information.

     The 18 temporary cold shelters are located at:

Hong Kong Island:
——————–

Central and Western:
Sai Ying Pun Community Complex Community Hall
3/F, Sai Ying Pun Community Complex,
2 High Street, Sai Ying Pun

Eastern:
Causeway Bay Community Centre
3/F, 7 Fook Yum Road, Causeway Bay

Southern:
Lei Tung Community Hall
Lei Tung Estate, Ap Lei Chau

Wan Chai:
Wan Chai Activities Centre
LG/F, Wan Chai Market, 258 Queen's Road East, Wan Chai

Kowloon:
——————

Kowloon City:
Hung Hom Community Hall
1/F, Kowloon City Government Offices,
42 Bailey Street, Hung Hom

Kwun Tong:
Lam Tin (West) Estate Community Centre
71 Kai Tin Road, Lam Tin

Sham Shui Po:
Nam Cheong District Community Centre
1 Cheong San Lane, Sham Shui Po

Wong Tai Sin:
Tsz Wan Shan (South) Estate Community Centre
45 Wan Wah Street, Tsz Wan Shan

Yau Tsim Mong:
Henry G Leong Yaumatei Community Centre
60 Public Square Street, Yau Ma Tei

New Territories:
—————-

Islands:
Tung Chung Community Hall 
G/F, Tung Chung Municipal Services Building, 39 Man Tung Road, Tung Chung

Kwai Tsing:
Tai Wo Hau Estate Community Centre
15 Tai Wo Hau Road, Kwai Chung

North:
Cheung Wah Community Hall
Cheung Wah Estate, Fanling

Sai Kung:
Hang Hau Community Hall
G/F, Sai Kung Tseung Kwan O Government Complex,
38 Pui Shing Road, Hang Hau, Tseung Kwan O

Sha Tin:
Lung Hang Estate Community Centre
Lung Hang Estate, Sha Tin

Tai Po:
Tai Po Community Centre
2 Heung Sze Wui Street, Tai Po
 
Tsuen Wan:
Lei Muk Shue Community Hall
G/F, Hong Shue House, Lei Muk Shue Estate, Tsuen Wan

Tuen Mun:
Butterfly Bay Community Centre
Butterfly Estate (near Tip Sum House), Tuen Mun

Yuen Long:
Long Ping Community Hall
Long Ping Estate, Yuen Long