Tag Archives: China

     The People’s Government of Guangdong Province, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government and the Macao Special Administrative Region (Macao SAR) Government signed the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Emergency Management Co-operation and Greater Bay Area Emergency Response Operation Co-operation Framework Agreement in Hong Kong today (June 14) to strengthen co-operation and exchanges of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao on emergency management and response.

     Vice Minister of the Ministry of Emergency Management Mr Xu Jia’ai and Member of the Office Leadership of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council Mr Xiang Bin attended the ceremony. Witnessed by the Executive Vice-Governor of Guangdong Province, Mr Zhang Hu; the Chief Secretary for Administration of the HKSAR, Mr Chan Kwok-ki; and the Secretary for Security of the Macao SAR, Mr Wong Sio-chak, the Director of the Department of Emergency Management of Guangdong Province, Mr Wang Zaihua; the Secretary for Security of the HKSAR, Mr Tang Ping-keung; and the Commissioner General of the Unitary Police Service of the Macao SAR, Mr Leong Man-cheong signed the Framework Agreement on behalf of governments in the three places.

     The Framework Agreement aims at establishing a government-led co-operation mechanism for emergency response, with professional emergency rescue forces as the mainstay and actions as the core, and strengthening emergency response capabilities of the three places, so as to cope with accidents, disasters, natural disasters and other contingencies affecting Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao.

     The governments of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao are jointly formulating a new Greater Bay Area Emergency Response Operational Plan tailored for cities in the Greater Bay Area, which covers technical and knowledge exchange mechanism, resource sharing mechanism, and emergency mobilisation and co-ordination mechanism, so as to promote overall improvement in emergency management in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao, achieve effective utilisation and rational sharing of emergency response resources and enhance the effectiveness of cross-boundary rescue. The governments of the three places expressed their hope to set up a task force on Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao emergency management co-operation and hold its first meeting within this year to take stock of the emergency management co-operation experience and to chart out future developments of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao emergency management.

     After the signing ceremony, the HKSAR Government hosted a welcome dinner to express gratitude to the Central Authorities and the governments of Guangdong and Macao for their staunch support for emergency management co-operation in the three places.

     The signing ceremony and welcome dinner were held at the Disciplined Services Sports and Recreation Club. Participants of the signing ceremony will visit emergency response facilities of the HKSAR Government tomorrow (June 15) to strengthen professional exchanges, laying a solid foundation for future co-operation.

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     The inter-departmental Task Force on Kai Tak Sports Park (KTSP) chaired by the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, convened the first meeting today (June 14) to co-ordinate the relevant bureaux and departments in implementing the preparatory work for the completion and commissioning of the KTSP.
      
     At the meeting, the Task Force discussed in detail three areas, namely ensuring the timely completion of the construction of the KSTP; maximising the economic benefits of the KTSP; and providing the necessary ancillary support, such as crowd management and traffic arrangements. Its aim is to ensure that the KTSP, upon its completion and commissioning, will create a diverse, quality experience for citizens and visitors.
      
     Mr Chan said, “The KTSP is the largest sports infrastructure project in Hong Kong’s history. It will provide modern and multi-purpose sports and recreation facilities, which are of great significance to the development of not only sports, but also Hong Kong’s mega-event economy. I will lead the Task Force to work in collaboration with all stakeholders in these three areas to ensure the successful completion and commissioning of the KTSP, thereby consolidating and enhancing Hong Kong’s strategic positioning as an events capital.”
      
     The construction of the KTSP commenced in February 2019. Currently, the main structure of the Public Sports Ground, the Indoor Sports Centre and the Main Stadium have been largely completed. According to the current construction progress, it is expected that the major facilities of the KTSP will be completed by the end of 2024. Upon the successful implementation of test events and satisfactory completion of various testing procedures, the KTSP will be open in the first half of 2025.
         
     The membership list of the inter-departmental Task Force on KTSP is as follows:
 
Chairman
—————
Chief Secretary for Administration
 
Members
————
Deputy Financial Secretary
Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism
Secretary for Development
Secretary for Environment and Ecology
Secretary for Security
Secretary for Transport and Logistics
Permanent Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism
Permanent Secretary for Housing/Director of Housing
Commissioner for Sports
 
Heads or representatives of relevant departments/office:
Buildings Department
Environmental Protection Department
Food and Environmental Hygiene Department
Highways Department
Home Affairs Department
Hong Kong Fire Services Department
Hong Kong Police Force
Information Services Department
Leisure and Cultural Services Department
Marine Department
National Games Coordination Office (Hong Kong)
Tourism Commission
Transport Department

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     A Government spokesman today (June 14) advised members of the public to stay vigilant about some recent advertisements in newspapers and social media platforms by a Shenzhen dental organisation, claiming to distribute in H… read more

     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health is today (June 14) investigating an imported case of cholera, and again appealed to the public for good personal, food and environmental hygiene both locally and during travel.

     The case involves a 29-year-old male with good past health, who travelled overseas with his family from June 2 to 4 and developed diarrhoea starting from June 5. He sought medical attention at Gleneagles Hong Kong Hospital on June 10 and no admission was required at that time.

     His stool specimen today yielded toxigenic Vibrio cholerae O1 serotype Ogawa upon testing by the CHP’s Public Health Laboratory Services Branch. The patient was admitted to a private hospital for isolation and management yesterday (June 13). He has been in stable condition.

     Initial investigations revealed that his travel collaterals and home contacts are asymptomatic and have been put under medical surveillance. Officers of the CHP have inspected the patient’s residence and collected clinical and environmental samples for testing. The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department has also conducted thorough cleaning and disinfection at the relevant residence.

     No epidemiological linkages have been found so far between this case and another previously recorded imported case in Hong Kong with a similar travel history. The CHP’s investigations are ongoing.

     “Most cholera patients have gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhoea or vomiting. Some patients with severe symptoms present with a sudden onset of profuse diarrhoea with rice-water-like and fishy smelling stools, nausea and vomiting. Without prompt treatment, these patients may die from severe dehydration,” a spokesman for the CHP said.

     Cholera is usually contracted through consumption of food or water contaminated with Vibrio cholerae. Human-to-human transmission rarely happens.

     The CHP advised the public to observe good personal, food and environmental hygiene both locally and during travel:
 

• Wash hands properly with liquid soap and water before eating or handling food, after going to the toilet or changing diapers, and after handling garbage;
• Avoid handling food when having symptoms of vomiting or diarrhoea;
• Purchase food from hygienic and reliable sources. Do not patronise illegal hawkers;
• Handle raw, cooked and ready-to-eat food with separate utensils and store them separately;
• Ensure thorough cooking of food before consumption;
• Discard any spoilt food;
• Clean the refrigerator regularly. Maintain the fridge at or below 4 degrees Celsius and the freezer at or below -18 degrees C;
• Maintain proper sanitary facilities and drainage systems; and
• Clean and disinfect toilets used by an infected person and the soiled areas.

     In addition, travellers to cholera-affected areas should:
 

• Cook food and boil water thoroughly before consumption. Do not patronise illegal hawkers. Avoid eating cold dishes like salads. Wash and peel fruit by yourself. Do not use ice for beverages. If water cannot be boiled, treat water with chlorine or iodine before consumption; and
• Travellers returning from affected areas should consult a doctor promptly if symptoms develop. Reveal the travel history and maintain good personal, food and environmental hygiene.

     The public may visit the CHP’s cholera page for more information. read more

     The International Arts Carnival (IAC), a summer arts festival organised by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, will present an immersive and interactive dance theatre production, “+Erba – A Forest in the City”, by Italian art group Compagnia TPO from July 24 to 29. Fusing art, physical fun and learning, the programme allows children to be part of the performance, where they can build an imaginative green city with their body movements and learn how humans and nature can prosper together.
 
     In the programme, children will be invited into a white cube transformed from the stage to use their bodies as paintbrushes to create their ideal city. Participants can add lush forests, open fields of grass, airy houses or bustling streets to the city as they wish. Be it a natural landscape or man-made structures, technology will make the wildest imagination come true. Every movement of the participants will be projected on the wall instantly to form a unique work of art.
 
     “+Erba – A Forest in the City” will be held from July 24 to 29 at 2.30pm, 4.30pm and 7.30pm daily at the Sha Tin Town Hall Cultural Activities Hall. The programme contains limited dialogue in English. Tickets priced at $320 (free seating) are now available at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk). For telephone booking, please call 3166 1288, or use the mobile ticketing app “URBTIX”.
 
     Each performance will be followed by a free workshop where ticket holders can make bracelets from natural materials such as grass, flowers and seeds, as well as biodegradable masking tape. The final product can be put back into the soil to flourish again.
 
     For programme enquiries and concessionary schemes, please call 2370 1044 or visit www.hkiac.gov.hk.
 
     This year’s IAC will run from July 5 to August 11 featuring a wide array of fun-filled educational programmes by overseas, Mainland and local art groups and artists. In addition to acrobatics, magic, dance, music, theatre and puppetry, the IAC will also offer film screenings, online programmes, parent-child workshops and an exhibition.

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