Attention TV/radio announcers:

Please broadcast the following as soon as possible:

     Here is an item of interest to swimmers.

     The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced today (February 8) that due to big waves, red flags have been hoisted at Silverstrand Beach and Clear Water Bay Second Beach in Sai Kung District. Beachgoers are advised not to swim at these beaches.

     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) today (February 8) reminded the public, particularly the elderly and people with chronic illnesses, to adopt appropriate measures to protect their health in view of the cold weather.

     A spokesman for the CHP said that cold weather can easily trigger or exacerbate diseases, especially among the elderly and persons suffering from heart disease, respiratory illness or other chronic illnesses.

     "Elderly people have less insulating fat beneath their skin to keep them warm and their body temperature control mechanism may be weaker. Their body may not be able to appropriately respond to the cold weather," the spokesman said.

     Some senior persons may have decreased mobility, which can in turn impair their ability to generate and conserve body heat. Chronic illnesses, such as hypertension, diabetes and endocrine disorders may undermine the health of elderly people and lower their metabolic rate, subsequently causing their body to generate less heat. Persons with chronic illnesses such as chronic respiratory illnesses or heart disease are vulnerable to disease aggravation due to cold weather.

     The CHP reminded the public, in particular the elderly and persons with chronic illnesses, to adopt the following preventive measures:
 

• Take note of the weather forecast. Wear warm clothing, including hats, scarves, gloves and socks accordingly;
• Consume sufficient food to ensure adequate calorie intake;
• Perform regular exercise to facilitate blood circulation and heat production;
• Stay in a warm environment and avoid prolonged outdoor exposure;
• Use heaters with care, and maintain adequate indoor ventilation; and
• Seek medical advice if feeling unwell.

     In addition, the public should avoid alcoholic beverages.

     "Drinking alcohol cannot keep you warm. Alcohol accelerates the loss of body heat through dilated blood vessels, resulting in chilling instead," the spokesman said.

     "Parents should ensure that babies are sufficiently warm, but it is also important to keep babies relatively lightly clothed to avoid overheating them," the spokesman added.

     Parents should observe the following safety measures when putting their children to bed:  

• Keep the room well ventilated and at a comfortable temperature;
• Always place babies on their back to sleep. Leave their head, face and arms uncovered during sleep;
• Babies do not need pillows. Place babies on a firm and well-fitted mattress to sleep. Avoid soft objects, pillows and loose bedding;
• Let babies sleep in a cot placed in the parents' room and near their bed; and
• Maintain a smoke-free environment.

 
     In addition, seasonal influenza vaccination 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 seasonal influenza vaccination early. 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. Influenza vaccination may reduce the likelihood of hospitalisation and the length of stay. It is important for elderly persons, especially those residing in residential care homes, to receive both seasonal influenza vaccination and COVID-19 vaccination. They should also receive an additional booster against COVID-19 according to recommendations as soon as possible. The public should also maintain good personal and environmental hygiene against 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;
• 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, exercise regularly, take adequate rest, do not smoke and avoid overstress.

    
     Food-borne diseases, particularly those linked to hot pot cuisine, are also common in cold weather. The following preventive measures should be taken:
 

• Wash hands before handling and consuming food;
• Do not patronise unlicensed vendors or those with poor hygienic standards while selecting food;
• Wash and cook all food thoroughly;
• Vegetables should be washed thoroughly in clean running water before cooking and consumption. When appropriate, scrub vegetables with hard surfaces with a clean brush to remove dirt and substances, including pesticide residues and contaminants, from the surface and crevices;
• Shrimps should be fully cooked until the shells turn red and the flesh turns white and opaque;
• For shellfish such as scallops and geoduck, scrub the shells thoroughly and remove internal organs;
• Most hot pot ingredients should be stored in a refrigerator at 4 degrees Celsius or below, while frozen food should be stored in a freezer at -18 degrees C or below;
• Never use raw eggs as a dipping sauce for hot pot; and
• Use different sets of chopsticks to handle raw and cooked food to avoid cross-contamination.

     In addition, when using fuel-burning appliances, especially in indoor areas, the public should ensure adequate ventilation to avoid harmful exposure to carbon monoxide (CO) and prevent CO poisoning.

     For more health information, the public may call the DH's Health Education Infoline (2833 0111) or visit the CHP's website and Facebook Fanpage.

     The public may also call Dial-a-Weather (1878 200) or visit the website of the Hong Kong Observatory for the latest weather information and forecast, or its page on Weather Information for Senior Citizens.

Attention duty announcers, radio and TV stations:

     Please broadcast the following special announcement immediately, and repeat it at frequent intervals when the Cold Weather Warning is in force:

     The Labour Department reminds employers that as the Cold Weather Warning is in force, they should take appropriate precautions such as reminding employees who have to work outdoors or in remote areas to wear appropriately warm clothing, and make arrangements for employees to rotate from outdoor to indoor or sheltered work sites as far as possible. Employees should take note of the weather report, wear appropriately warm clothing and be mindful of their health conditions. They should notify their supervisors and seek medical help immediately if feeling unwell, such as having cold limbs and body shivering.

The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:

      The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (the HKSAR Government) today (February 7) announced the successful offering of around HK$6 billion worth of digital green bonds (Digital Green Bonds) denominated in HK dollars (HKD), Renminbi (RMB), US dollars (USD) and euro (EUR) under the Government Green Bond Programme. 
 
      The two-year Digital Green Bonds attracted subscription by a wide spectrum of institutional investors globally, from financial institutions (FI) (including some major asset managers, banks, insurance companies and private banks) to non-FI corporates. The Digital Green Bonds were priced as follows:

• HKD2 billion tranche at 3.800%
• RMB1.5 billion tranche at 2.900%
• USD200 million tranche at 4.749%
• EUR80 million tranche at 3.647%

      This is the second digital bond issuance following the HKSAR Government's inaugural tokenised green bond issued in February 2023. The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) completed Project Genesis in 2021 in collaboration with the Bank for International Settlements Innovation Hub Hong Kong Centre to concept-test the issuance of tokenised green bonds in Hong Kong. This issuance further develops on the basis of Project Genesis and achieved new breakthroughs in the following areas: 
 

1. Broadening investor participation via existing market infrastructure: Facilitated by the Central Moneymakets Unit (CMU)'s external linkages, international investors have the option to access the Digital Green Bonds via their accounts with Euroclear or Clearstream. This broadens the bond's investor base and enhances its liquidity, and could potentially facilitate interoperability across different digital assets platforms and traditional central securities depositories.
     
2. Streamlining issuance process by issuing in digitally native format, without the need to first issue in traditional central securities depositories and subsequently convert the bond into digital format.
    
3. Building in standardisation elements, by adopting the International Capital Market Association's Bond Data Taxonomy (Note 1) (BDT), a standardised and machine-readable language that was developed to promote market efficiency and cross-system interoperability. This was the first issuance by an issuer of relevant category and the first green bond to adopt the BDT. 
    
4. Integrating green bond disclosures with digital assets platform: Key green bond documentation including the issuer's Green Bond Framework and relevant third-party review reports can be viewed on the digital asset platform, enhancing transparency and accessibility of information.

   
      The Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, said, "The Government has once again issued digital green bonds this year, incorporating various technological innovations. This demonstrates Hong Kong's strengths and leadership position in combining the bond market, green and sustainable finance, as well as fintech. We will continue to promote innovation and application of fintech, explore the use of new technologies to enhance the efficiency, transparency, and security of financial transactions, and foster vibrant development in various sectors of the financial market."
  
      The Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Christopher Hui, said, "The second issuance of digital green bonds demonstrates the Government's continuous support to innovative forms of bond issuances and green transformation. We are confident that this issuance will further entrench the social awareness of sustainable development in combination with fintech and consolidate Hong Kong's status as a leading green and sustainable finance hub."
 
      The Chief Executive of the HKMA, Mr Eddie Yue, said, "Building on the success of the inaugural digital bond offering last year, we are delighted to bring to the market another landmark issuance. This second digital issuance include multiple innovations that broaden investor access, support interoperability, and improve transparency and efficiency. We hope this issuance would promote the development of the digital securities market and encourage the wider adoption of digitalisation technology."
 
      The clearing and settlement system of the Digital Green Bonds is the CMU, with HSBC Orion as the digital assets platform. This represents the first multi-currency digital bond offering in the world, and the first digitally native bond issuance in Hong Kong. HSBC, Bank of China (Hong Kong), Crédit Agricole CIB, Goldman Sachs (Asia) L.L.C, ICBC (Asia), UBS, Allen & Overy, Ashurst and Linklaters were involved in the preparation for the issuance (see Annex).
 
Key features of the Digital Green Bonds
 

 
DISCLAIMER:
 
NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, CANADA, AUSTRALIA OR JAPAN OR IN ANY OTHER JURISDICTION IN WHICH SUCH DISTRIBUTION OR DISSEMINATION WOULD BE PROHIBITED BY APPLICABLE LAW.
 
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS NOT MADE BEING MADE AVAILABLE IN, AND IS NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, IN OR INTO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, CANADA, AUSTRALIA OR JAPAN OR IN ANY OTHER JURISDICTION IN WHICH SUCH DISTRIBUTION OR DISSEMINATION WOULD BE PROHIBITED BY APPLICABLE LAW. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT INTENDED, AND SHOULD NOT BE CONSTRUED, AS AN OFFER OF, OR A SOLICITATION OF AN OFFER TO BUY, SECURITIES IN THE UNITED STATES OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION. THE SECURITIES DESCRIBED HEREIN HAVE NOT BEEN AND WILL NOT BE REGISTERED UNDER THE UNITED STATES SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE "SECURITIES ACT"), OR THE LAWS OF ANY STATE OF THE UNITED STATES, AND MAY NOT BE OFFERED OR SOLD WITHIN THE UNITED STATES EXCEPT PURSUANT TO AN EXEMPTION FROM, OR IN A TRANSACTION NOT SUBJECT TO, THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE SECURITIES ACT AND IN COMPLIANCE WITH ALL APPLICABLE STATE LAWS. THERE WILL BE NO PUBLIC OFFERING OF SUCH SECURITIES IN THE UNITED STATES.

Note 1: The BDT is a standardised and machine-readable language of key economic terms of a bond (such as amounts, currency, maturity, interest), key dates (such as pricing, settlement) as well as other relevant information (such as governing law, relevant parties, ratings, selling restrictions) typically included within a term sheet.

Note 2: The Digital Green Bonds are cleared and settled through the CMU, and the settlement of transactions made through the CMU benefits from statutory settlement finality under Hong Kong law.

Note 3: Parties which have direct access to the digital assets platform (Direct Participants) can hold the legal titles of the Digital Green Bonds; parties who are not Direct Participants will hold beneficial interests in the Digital Green Bonds represented in their CMU accounts, Euroclear accounts, Clearstream accounts or custodian arrangements, as applicable. 

     The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government is very concerned about the media report of the leakage of nuclear contaminated water in Japan's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station and has immediately sought verification and further information from the Consulate-General of Japan in Hong Kong (CGoJ).

     In response to the Japanese Government's earlier decision to discharge nuclear-contaminated water at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Station into the sea, the Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene issued a Food Safety Order which prohibits all aquatic products, sea salt and seaweeds originating from the 10 metropolis/prefectures, namely Tokyo, Fukushima, Ibaraki, Miyagi, Chiba, Gunma, Tochigi, Niigata, Nagano and Saitama, from being imported into and supplied in Hong Kong. Besides, all vegetables, fruits, milk, milk beverages and dried milk originating from Fukushima are banned from importing into Hong Kong while such foods originating from the four prefectures nearby Fukushima, i.e. Ibaraki, Tochigi, Chiba and Gunma, are allowed to be imported on the condition that they are accompanied with a radiation certificate and an exporter certificate issued by the Japanese authority. Chilled or frozen game, meat and poultry, and poultry eggs originating from the above five prefectures are allowed to be imported on the condition that they are accompanied with a radiation certificate issued by the Japanese authority which shows the radiation levels do not exceed the Codex guideline levels of the Codex Alimentarius Commission.

     The Government will continue to closely follow up the incident with the CGoJ with the view to safeguarding food safety and public health in Hong Kong.