The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) today (November 3) reported an update on the investigations of the suspected Mycobacterium abscessus infection cluster. Currently, the suspected Mycobacterium abscessus infection cluster involved a total of 15 females. According to the latest investigation findings, people who have patronised the following premises, or contacted the following Instagram social media accounts and received relevant injections and suspect they have experienced relevant symptoms, are urged to seek medical attention and contact the CHP as soon as possible.
 

     Apart from the five people involved in the suspected Mycobacterium abscessus infection cluster announced yesterday (November 2), the CHP has conducted contact tracing and contacted seven females, aged 23 to 37 who have patronised at Gals Glam Beauty/Gals Glam and received relevant injections services claimed to have slimming effect in the two premises in Lai Chi Kok (6/F, Hop Hing Industrial Building, 702-704 Castle Peak Road or 4/F, Wing Hong Centre, 18 Wing Hong Street). They developed rash, induration or abscess after injection. All patients are in stable condition.

     The CHP has set up an enquiry hotline (2125 2372) for the related cases, which operates from Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays) from 9am to 5.30pm. The hotline will also operate from 9am to 1pm tomorrow (November 4) and on November 5 to receive enquiries. As of 3pm today, seven calls were received. Three females, aged 25 to 32, said that they have received relevant injection services and developed compatible symptoms.

     The CHP again appeals to persons who presented with symptoms such as skin redness, rash, purulent or induration after receiving injections at the above three premises, should seek medical attention and call the hotline immediately. Officers of the CHP will assess their condition and arrange for follow-up as appropriate.

     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 Department of Health (DH) today (November 3) endorsed a licensed Chinese herbal medicines wholesaler, Kam Hing Hong Limited (Kam Hing Hong), to voluntarily recall from the market one batch of herbal medicine labelled as "Rhizoma Bletillae" (batch number: 17082023), as it is not Rhizoma Bletillae after identification. 

     Acting upon intelligence, the DH conducted an investigation at Kam Hing Hong and seized the above-mentioned herbal medicine. After comparing with the morphological features of Rhizoma Bletillae as stipulated in the Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China (2020 Edition), the herbal medicine was identified not being Rhizoma Bletillae.

     Preliminary investigation revealed that Kam Hing Hong imported the above-mentioned herbal medicine from the Mainland for local sale. Kam Hing Hong will recall the concerned batch of herbal medicine from the market. A hotline (2548 3973) has been set up by Kam Hing Hong for related enquiries. The DH will continue the investigation and closely monitoring the recall.

     According to the Chinese Medicine Ordinance (Cap. 549), Rhizoma Bletillae is a Schedule 2 Chinese herbal medicine. Rhizoma Bletillae, the tuber of Bletilla striata (Thunb.) Reichb. f., is used to act as an astringent, stop bleeding, disperse swelling and promote tissue regeneration.
 
     According to section 52 of the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance (Cap. 132), those who sell any drug not of the nature, substance or quality demanded by the purchaser is liable to a maximum penalty of a fine of $10,000 and three months' imprisonment. Upon completion of the investigation, the DH will work with the Department of Justice on prosecution matters. The DH will also refer this case to the Chinese Medicine Council of Hong Kong for possible disciplinary action. Furthermore, the DH will consider referring the case to the relevant law enforcement agency to follow up.
 
     Chinese medicine practitioners, Chinese medicine personnel or members of public who have the affected Chinese herbal medicine in hand should refrain from selling or using them and submit the affected Chinese herbal medicine to the DH's Chinese Medicine Regulatory Office at 16/F, AIA Kowloon Tower, Landmark East, 100 How Ming Street, Kwun Tong, during office hours for disposal, or return them to the supplier. 

  

     Following is the speech by the Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, at the Hong Kong International Wine & Spirits Fair 2023 today (November 3):
 
Peter (Chairman of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (TDC), Dr Peter Lam), Margaret (Executive Director of the TDC, Ms Margaret Fong), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
 
     Good evening. I am delighted to be here today with you – a world of wine buyers, exhibitors and connoisseurs, plus plenty of red, white, rosé and orange enthusiasts like yours truly. We're here, all of us, keen to cork, pour, sniff, sip and celebrate the opening of this year's Hong Kong International Wine & Spirits Fair, where business meets pleasure.
 
     Alongside the usual numbers, I've been counting glasses – wine glasses. First, at the opening week of the Wine and Dine Festival; and now, today, for the 15th edition of the TDC's International Wine & Spirits Fair.
 
     This year's global gathering has attracted more than 500 exhibitors from 17 countries and regions. They're buying, selling and trading old-world and new-world wine, as well as wine and spirits from the Mainland and Japan, and whisky and beer from everywhere.
 
     Together, they offer clear – and sometimes sparkling – testimony to Hong Kong's standing as Asia's wine-trading and distribution hub.
 
     Vineyards aside, Hong Kong has what it takes, including zero wine duties, an extensive logistics and distribution network, rich wine-trading experience, and, of course, people with a passion for fine wine and fabulous fare. Indeed, all sorts of wine and food, too.
 
     Our close proximity and connections to the Mainland's vast, and growing, consumer market is another magnum-size advantage. Last year, the Mainland and Macao accounted for more than two-thirds of our wine exports. In value terms, Hong Kong wine exports soared more than 45 per cent last year.
 
     On Sunday, this fair opens to the public. A welcome opportunity for wine lovers and newbies, too, to discover and delight in a bright abundance of wine – from around the world.
 
     My sincere thanks to the HKTDC for organising this year's Hong Kong International Wine & Spirits Fair.
 
     I wish you all rewarding three days at the fair, a memorable long weekend in Hong Kong and the best of business, and pleasure, in the coming year. Thank you.

        

     The presentation ceremony for the Hong Kong ICT Awards 2023 (the Awards) was held this evening (November 3) with KRIP Limited being presented the Award of the Year from the Deputy Financial Secretary, Mr Michael Wong. KRIP Limited is also the winner of the FinTech Grand Award, surpassing seven other category winners with its winning entry, the krip HK.
 
     Mr Wong praised the winners for their groundbreaking innovations and initiatives which show the capability and enthusiasm of pushing the boundaries of excellence beyond limits, adding that the cutting-edge solutions and applications they have produced help create a positive impact on society and showcase Hong Kong as a global information and communications technology (ICT) hub. He noted that the Government is also making continuous efforts to adopt cutting-edge technologies, including artificial intelligence, blockchain and Web3 among others, to propel the development of Hong Kong into a smart city as well as expedite the development of the digital economy.

     The Hong Kong ICT Awards aims to recognise and promote outstanding local ICT inventions and applications. It has been widely recognised as an annual flagship event of the local industry since its debut in 2006. In addition to encouraging and recognising local innovations, the Awards also helps the winners and their products enter the Mainland and overseas markets.

     Led by the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer and with the concerted efforts of all Leading Organisers, the Steering Committee and Standards Assurance Sub-committee, the Grand Judging Panel, judges, assessors and supporting organisations, the annual Hong Kong ICT Awards concluded successfully. The Chairman of the Grand Judging Panel, the President of City University of Hong Kong, Professor Freddy Boey, congratulated the awardees for their exceptional initiatives which were geared towards improving people's lives.

     "The awardees' innovative solutions and groundbreaking initiatives have set a benchmark of excellence that inspires and motivates the ICT community," Professor Boey said, adding that he was especially excited about the Student Innovation Grand Award as Hong Kong is blessed with an incredibly talented student body, and it behoved everyone to help guide young people towards their dreams.

     The Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong, presented trophies to the eight winners of Grand Awards to commend their outstanding performance. The awardees are:
 

     Detailed information of the winners and the event are available on the website of the Hong Kong ICT Awards (www.hkictawards.hk).

      

     Six landlords of subdivided units (SDUs) who contravened Part IVA of the Landlord and Tenant (Consolidation) Ordinance (Cap. 7) (the Ordinance) pleaded guilty and were fined from $800 to $5,300 today (November 3) at the Eastern Magistrates' Courts. Since the Ordinance has come into force, a total of 22 SDU landlords have been convicted of contravening the Ordinance.

     The offences of these landlords include (1) requesting the tenant to pay any money other than those types permitted by the Ordinance; (2) failing to produce copies of the bills and provide an account in writing when requiring the tenant to pay for the reimbursement of the apportioned water and electricity charges; (3) failing to submit a Notice of Tenancy (Form AR2) to the Commissioner of Rating and Valuation within 60 days after the term of the regulated tenancy commenced; and (4) failing to provide the tenant with a rent receipt. The landlord who was fined $5,300 contravened a total of seven offences under (1) to (4) above.
 
     The Rating and Valuation Department (RVD) earlier discovered that the landlords failed to comply with the relevant requirements under the Ordinance. Upon in-depth investigation and evidence collection, the RVD prosecuted against the landlords.
 
     A spokesman for the RVD hopes that these convictions will send a strong message to SDU landlords that they must comply with the relevant requirements under the Ordinance, and also reminds SDU tenants of their rights under the Ordinance. He also stresses that the RVD will continue to take resolute enforcement action against any contraventions of the Ordinance. Apart from following up on reported cases, the RVD has been adopting a multipronged approach to proactively identify, investigate and follow up on cases concerning landlords who are suspected of contravening the Ordinance. In particular, the RVD has been requiring landlords of regulated tenancies to provide information and reference documents of their tenancies for checking whether the landlords concerned have complied with the requirements of the Ordinance. If a landlord, without reasonable excuse, refuses to provide the relevant information or neglects the RVD's request, the landlord commits an offence and is liable to a fine at level 3 ($10,000) and to imprisonment for three months. Depending on the actual circumstances and having regard to the information and evidence collected, the RVD will take appropriate actions on individual cases, including instigating prosecutions against suspected contraventions of the Ordinance.
 
     The RVD spokesman appeals to members of the public to come forward and report to the RVD promptly any suspected cases of contravening the relevant requirements. This would help curb illegal acts as soon as possible. Reporting can be made through the telephone hotline (2150 8303), by email (enquiries@rvd.gov.hk), by fax (2116 4920), by post (15/F, Cheung Sha Wan Government Offices, 303 Cheung Sha Wan Road, Kowloon), or in person (visiting the Tenancy Services Section office of the RVD at Room 3816-22, 38/F, Immigration Tower, 7 Gloucester Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong, and please call 2150 8303 to make an appointment). Furthermore, the RVD has provided a new form (Form AR4) (www.rvd.gov.hk/doc/en/forms/ar4.pdf) on its website to facilitate SDU tenants' reporting to the RVD.
 
     In addition, pursuant to the Ordinance, a regulated cycle of regulated tenancies is to comprise two consecutive regulated tenancies (i.e. the first-term tenancy and second-term tenancy) for an SDU, and the term of each regulated tenancy is two years. A tenant of a first-term tenancy for an SDU is entitled to be granted a second-term tenancy of the regulated cycle, thus enjoying a total of four years of security of tenure. Since the first batch of regulated tenancies is about to approach their second-term tenancies, the RVD has started a new round of publicity and education work in order to assist SDU landlords and tenants to understand the important matters pertaining to the second-term tenancy, and the procedures that need to be followed about two months prior to the commencement of the purported second-term tenancy. In addition, the RVD has started to issue letters enclosing relevant information to the concerned landlords and tenants of regulated tenancies by batches, according to the expiry time of their first term tenancies, to remind them about their respective obligations and rights under the Ordinance. These landlords and tenants may also visit the dedicated page for the second term tenancy on the RVD's website (www.rvd.gov.hk/en/tenancy_matters/second_term_tenancy.html) for the relevant information, including a concise guide, brochures, tutorial videos and frequently asked questions. SDU landlords and tenants are also advised to familiarise themselves with the relevant statutory requirements and maintain close communication regarding the second-term tenancy for handling the matters properly and in a timely manner according to the Ordinance.
 
     For enquiries related to regulated tenancies, please call the telephone hotline (2150 8303) or visit the RVD's webpage (www.rvd.gov.hk/en/our_services/part_iva.html) for the relevant information.