Tag Archives: China

     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) today (November 8) provided an update on the investigation of the suspected Mycobacterium abscessus infection cluster. With the addition of one case, currently the suspected Mycobacterium abscessus infection cluster involves a total of 18 females.

     The CHP has set up for the related cases an enquiry hotline (2125 2372), which operates from Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays) from 9am to 5.30pm to receive enquiries. The hotline was set up on November 3, and as of 3pm today, 18 calls were received, among which six females, aged 25 to 32, said that they had received relevant injection services and developed symptoms. They have been defined as cases of the infection cluster to receive follow-ups.

     In addition, the CHP has not identified new venues where injections took place, or relevant Instagram social media accounts today. The CHP again appeals to persons who have patronised the premises announced on November 7, or have arranged and received relevant injections via relevant Instagram social media accounts after which they presented with relevant symptoms, should seek medical attention and call the hotline immediately. Officers of the CHP will assess their condition and arrange for follow-ups as appropriate.
 
     Based on information obtained in a preliminary investigation, the CHP cannot rule out the possibility of illegal medical practice. Investigations are ongoing.

     The DH reminded members of the public that injection procedures should only be performed by a locally registered doctor. Customers should look for his or her full name against the list of registered doctors of the Medical Council of Hong Kong as well as his or her professional qualifications and relevant experience. The DH also urged the public to observe the health advice below before receiving injections:
 

• Understand the procedure, potential risks and complications before receiving injections. Consult a doctor for an informed decision;
• Do not receive an injection in the case of a history of allergy to the injection, or infection or inflammation on the injection site;
• Request the full name of the doctor in writing if referred by a beauty service provider for the procedure, as well as the professional qualifications and relevant experience; and
• If symptoms develop, such as fever or feeling unwell, seek medical attention immediately.

     â€‹The public may visit the DH’s webpage on the differentiation between medical procedures and beauty services and the Drug Database of the Drug Office for more information. read more

     The Transport Department (TD) today (November 8) reminded members of the public that special traffic and transport arrangements will be implemented from 2pm on November 10 (Friday) to 6am on November 13 (Monday) to facilitate the holding of a car racing event in Central District.
      
     During the period, road closures and traffic diversions will be implemented in the vicinity of Central Harbourfront including Lung Wo Road and Yiu Sing Street. Twenty-six bus routes and three green minibus (GMB) routes traversing the affected area will be subject to temporary diversions and relocation of stopping points correspondingly.
      
     The TD anticipates that traffic in the affected areas in Central, in particular Man Yiu Street and Connaught Road Central, will be more congested than usual. Motorists are advised to avoid driving to these areas unless necessary. They should exercise tolerance and patience in case of traffic congestion and follow instructions given by the Police.
      
     Public transport commuters going to Central, especially those going to Airport Express Line Hong Kong Station and Central Ferry Piers for taking ferry services, should pay attention to the arrangements for route diversions and bus/GMB stopping points relocation. Since the travelling times and frequencies of affected public transport services may become unstable, members of the public are advised to plan their journeys early, allow extra travelling time to cater for unexpected delays and make use of railway services as far as possible.
      
     For details of the special traffic and public transport arrangements, members of the public may visit the TD’s website (www.td.gov.hk) or mobile application “HKeMobility”. Passengers may also refer to the passenger notices displayed by the relevant public transport operators.
      
     The TD and the Police will closely monitor the traffic situation and implement appropriate measures when necessary. The Police may adjust the traffic arrangements, subject to the prevailing crowd and traffic conditions in the areas. The public should pay attention to the latest traffic news through radio, television or “HKeMobility”. read more

     The Chief Executive’s Council of Advisers chaired by the Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, held its second meeting today (November 8) and focused discussions, having regard to the latest Policy Address, on how to enhance the role of Hong Kong in fostering regional and global economic and trade collaboration, as well as on the relevant external factors including the global economic outlook and the impact of geopolitics on Hong Kong in the coming year.

     The Chief Executive announced his second Policy Address last month, introducing an array of measures to consolidate the existing advantages of Hong Kong and explore new growth potential for the economy. The Government strives to adopt an industry-oriented approach as the policy priority, boost the economy through investment, drive growth through infrastructural creation and expand the economic capacity of Hong Kong.

     The Council meeting was held in the Central Government Offices. The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki; the Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan; the Secretary for Justice, Mr Paul Lam, SC; the Director of Chief Executive’s Office, Ms Carol Yip; and the Head of Chief Executive’s Policy Unit, Dr Stephen Wong, were in attendance, alongside some members participating in the discussion through videoconferencing.

     Apart from focusing on the relevant strategic measures on economic development covered in the Policy Address, the Council also held in-depth discussions on the trend of global economic development and geopolitics in the coming year, as well as on how Hong Kong could grasp the opportunities and address the challenges for creating strong impetus for growth and improving people’s livelihood amid the unprecedented changes currently at play.

     The advisers were supportive of the policy directions put forth in the Policy Address, and agreed that Hong Kong should continue its efforts of capitalising on the unique advantage of having the strong support of the country and being closely connected to the world under “one country, two systems”. The advisers also supported that Hong Kong should proactively integrate into the country’s development, while maintaining a high degree of internationalisation and strengthening regional and global collaboration, exemplifying the role as an important node of the national and international dual circulation.

     Mr Lee said, “I sincerely thank the advisers for their support for my new Policy Address, which has showcased the Government’s all-out efforts of introducing immediate as well as short, medium and long-term measures for Hong Kong as it fully recovers from the epidemic. The Policy Address covers micro and internal perspectives for Hong Kong on one hand, and deals with macro and external factors on the other. It also introduces policy measures to connect Hong Kong with the country and the rest of the world. In order to bring Hong Kong to new heights while managing the underlying risks, we must fully appraise the possible impact of the external environment on Hong Kong to ensure that the measures covered in the Policy Address can be implemented effectively.

     “The Council has a strong line-up of domestic and international elites, who have in-depth knowledge of and insights into global political and economic developments and trends. The meeting today has provided my team and myself with a lot of valuable advice and useful reference, which will help us take forward the initiatives introduced in the Policy Address, so that we can build a better Hong Kong together by leveraging our unique advantage of converging both the China and global opportunities.”

     The Government established the Council in March 2023 to advise the Chief Executive on the strategic development of Hong Kong, leveraging opportunities from national and global developments. read more

     The Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Miss Alice Mak, and the Permanent Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Ms Shirley Lam, attended the Women Sector Dialogue on “The Chief Executive’s 2023 Policy Address” today (November 8). They introduced the policy measures related to the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau (HYAB) featured in the Policy Address to representatives of local women’s organisations and members of the Women’s Commission, and listened to the opinions of the participants. 

     During the dialogue, Miss Mak introduced the key initiatives related to the facilitation of family and women’s development in the Policy Address. She pointed out that the Government attaches great importance to the support of women’s development. Following the allocation of additional funding to establish the Women Empowerment Fund last year, the HYAB will set up a dedicated Women Affairs Team and designate the post of Commissioner for Women Affairs to steer work related to women’s affairs. The HYAB’s key initiatives in the aspect of family and women’s development for the coming year include launching a one-stop family and women information portal; organising the first Family and Women Development Summit; introducing a maintenance mediation pilot scheme through the Community Care Fund, launching a new five-year Funding Scheme on the Promotion of Family Education, etc. 

     Participants attending the dialogue responded positively to the relevant measures. In particular, the designation of the post of Commissioner for Women Affairs responds to the aspiration of the women sector. Participants also actively shared their views on taking forward various initiatives in relation to the promotion of women matters and facilitation of family education, and more.

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     Following is a question by Dr the Hon Johnny Ng and a written reply by the Acting Secretary for Development, Mr David Lam, in the Legislative Council today (November 8):   Question:        It has be… read more