Tag Archives: China

     The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (October 20) released the latest grading of water quality for 39 gazetted beaches (see Note 1) and one non-gazetted beach (see Note 2).
      
     Twenty-four beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1), 15 as Fair (Grade 2), and one as Poor (Grade 3).
 
Grade 1 beaches are:          

Butterfly Beach*	Middle Bay Beach*
Cafeteria New Beach*	Pui O Beach*
Cafeteria Old Beach	Repulse Bay Beach*
Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach*	Shek O Beach*
Chung Hom Kok Beach	South Bay Beach*
Clear Water Bay First Beach*	St Stephen’s Beach*
Golden Beach*	Stanley Main Beach
Hap Mun Bay Beach*	Tai Po Lung Mei Beach*
Hung Shing Yeh Beach*	Tong Fuk Beach
Kiu Tsui Beach	Trio Beach*
Lo So Shing Beach	Turtle Cove Beach
Lower Cheung Sha Beach	Upper Cheung Sha Beach

 
Grade 2 beaches are:

Anglers’ Beach*	Hoi Mei Wan Beach
Approach Beach	Kadoorie Beach*
Big Wave Bay Beach*	Kwun Yam Beach
Casam Beach*	Lido Beach*
Castle Peak Beach	Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach*
Clear Water Bay Second Beach*	Silverstrand Beach*
Deep Water Bay Beach*	Ting Kau Beach*
Discovery Bay

 
Grade 3 beach is:

Silver Mine Bay Beach*

 
     Compared with the grading released last week, Lower Cheung Sha Beach and Stanley Main Beach have been upgraded from Grade 2 to Grade 1, and Anglers’ Beach and Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach from Grade 3 to Grade 2.
      
     Under the present grading system, beaches are classified into four grades, namely Good (Grade 1), Fair (Grade 2), Poor (Grade 3) and Very Poor (Grade 4), according to the level of E. coli in the water. Grades are calculated on the basis of the geometric mean of the E. coli counts on the five most recent sampling occasions.
 
     While the ratings represent the general water quality at the beaches, an EPD spokesman reminded members of the public that water quality could be temporarily affected during and after periods of heavy rain. Bathers should avoid swimming at beaches for up to three days after a tropical cyclone or heavy rainfall.
      
     A summary of beach grades is published weekly before the weekend. The latest beach grades based on the most current data may be obtained from the EPD’s website on Beach Water Quality (www.epd.gov.hk/epd/beach) or the beach hotline, 2511 6666.
      
     In line with the vision to develop Hong Kong into a smart city, the EPD launched the Beach Water Quality Forecast System on August 15 to provide daily water quality forecasts for all gazetted beaches in Hong Kong that are open for swimming, to supplement the existing beach water quality monitoring programme and further enhance services to the public (see Note 3). From now on, members of the public can obtain the latest daily water quality forecast information for all beaches through the Beach Water Quality Forecast mobile application (available for download from: www.epd.gov.hk/en/BWQApp) or the dedicated beach water quality forecast page (www.epd.gov.hk/en/BWQForecast) on the EPD’s beach thematic website.
 
Note 1: Lifeguard services are provided by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department at 26 gazetted beaches, marked with an asterisk (*) above, from September 28. Stanley Main Beach is temporarily closed for clearance and urgent repair works. For details, please refer to the Leisure and Cultural Services Department’s Special Announcement (www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/beach/index.html).
 
Note 2: This refers to the non-gazetted beach in Discovery Bay which has no lifeguard service.
 
Note 3: The EPD launched the Beach Water Quality Forecast System on August 15, 2023. For the press release, please visit www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202308/15/P2023081400345.htm. read more

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

     The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) wishes to alert members of the public to a press release issued by Banque Pictet & Cie SA relating to phishing instant messages, which have been reported to the HKMA. A hyperlink to the press release is available on the HKMA website.

     The HKMA wishes to remind the public that banks will not send SMS or emails with embedded hyperlinks which direct them to the banks’ websites to carry out transactions. They will not ask customers for sensitive personal information, such as login passwords or one-time password, by phone, email or SMS (including via embedded hyperlinks).

     Anyone who has provided his or her personal information, or who has conducted any financial transactions, through or in response to the instant messages concerned, should contact the bank using the contact information provided in the press release, and report the matter to the Police by contacting the Crime Wing Information Centre of the Hong Kong Police Force at 2860 5012. read more

     The new intelligent sports and recreation services booking and information system, SmartPLAY, will be officially launched at 7am on November 9. The Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) announced today (October 20) that a promotional activity with prizes will be held to encourage members of the pubic to register as users as soon as possible and exercise more. All users who have successfully registered as SmartPLAY users by November 5 and have completed authentication (including the 210 000 registered SmartPLAY users) are automatically entitled to enter the lucky draw with an opportunity to win prizes.

     Three grand prize winners will be drawn from the eligible SmartPLAY users. Each grand prize winner will be presented with a latest model of smartphone (Apple iPhone 15 Pro, Samsung Z Flip 5 or Huawei P60 Pro). Moreover, 30 consolation prizes will be offered. The prizes include smart health devices such as sports massage guns, smart body scales, etc. 

     Prize winners will be drawn randomly by computer on November 13 under the supervision of a registered accounting firm. A list of prize winners will be published on the SmartPLAY website (www.smartplay.lcsd.gov.hk) and the LCSD’s social media pages LCSD Plusss as well as in Sing Tao Daily and the Standard for public information on November 20. Prize winners will be individually informed. Details of the promotional activity can be found on the website: smartplay.lcsd.gov.hk/website/en/news/10015.html.

     The LCSD reminds the public that starting from November 9, all people, including existing Leisure Link patrons, must register with the new system and complete an identity authentication process before using the new system to enrol in programmes and book leisure facilities.

     The LCSD has provided 375 new Smart Self-service Stations at around 240 leisure venues (including District Leisure Services Offices in various districts). Members of the public can submit their registration details and complete identity authentication and account activation procedures at these Smart Self-service Stations. A dedicated website (www.smartplay.lcsd.gov.hk) and a mobile app (My SmartPLAY) are also provided for user registration. If users complete their registration through “iAM Smart”, they can have their SmartPLAY accounts instantly activated.

     To assist members of the public to complete the registration of SmartPLAY user accounts and to familiarise themselves with the booking of facilities and enrolment of programmes under the new system, a series of SmartPLAY Smart Way Workshops (www.smartplay.lcsd.gov.hk/website/en/news/9984.html) organised by the LCSD are now open for application, including some workshops dedicated to citizens aged 60 or above. Members of the public are welcome to join the workshops for free. Those interested are invited to check out the details on the above website. 

     For more information on SmartPLAY, please visit the SmartPLAY website (www.smartplay.lcsd.gov.hk), or call the SmartPLAY hotline at 3954 5150. read more

     Best Metro (Hong Kong) Limited and its director were prosecuted by the Labour Department (LD) for violation of the requirements under the Employment Ordinance (EO). The company and its director pleaded guilty at Shatin Magistrates’ Courts today (October 20) and were fined a total sum of $160,000. 
 
     The company failed to pay an employee, in accordance with the EO, wages of about $470,000 and annual leave pay of about $12,000 within seven days after the expiry of the wage periods or termination of employment. The company also failed to pay the awarded sum of about $460,000 within 14 days after the date set by the Labour Tribunal (LT) award. The director concerned was prosecuted and convicted for his consent, connivance or neglect in the offence of defaulting the awarded sum of the LT committed by the company.
 
     “The ruling will disseminate a strong message to all employers, directors and responsible officers of companies that they have to pay wages to employees within the statutory time limit stipulated in the EO, as well as the sums awarded by the LT or the Minor Employment Claims Adjudication Board,” a spokesman for the LD said.
 
     “The LD will not tolerate these offences and will spare no effort in enforcing the law and safeguarding employees’ statutory rights,” the spokesman added. read more

     The effective exchange rate index for the Hong Kong dollar on Friday, October 20, 2023 is 106.7 (up 0.1 against yesterday’s index). read more