â€‹The Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene today (June 4) cancelled the licence of a general restaurant in Tokwawan, as the licensee repeatedly breached the Food Business Regulation (FBR) by changing the type of fuel used for its heating equipment without permission. The restaurant concerned has had to cease operation with immediate effect.

     The restaurant is located on the ground floor of 86C and 86D Lok Shan Road.

     "Two convictions for the above-mentioned breach were recorded against the restaurant licensee last September and October. A total fine of $5,500 was levied by the court and 15 demerit points were registered against the licensee under the department's demerit points system. The contraventions resulted in the cancellation of the licence," a spokesman for the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) said.

     The licensee concerned had a record of four convictions for the same offence between July 2022 and June last year. A total fine of $6,600 was levied and 30 demerit points were also registered, resulting in a seven-day and 14-day licence suspension from January to February and October last year respectively.

     The spokesman reminded the licensees of food premises to comply with the FBR and other relevant regulations, or their licences could be suspended or cancelled.

     Licensed food premises are required to exhibit its licence and a sign at a conspicuous place of the premises, indicating that the premises have been licensed. A list of licensed food premises is available on the FEHD website (www.fehd.gov.hk/english/licensing/licence-foodPremises-search.html).

     â€‹The Land Registry today (June 4) released its statistics for May 2024.

Land registration
——————-
* The number of sale and purchase agreements for all building units received for registration in May was 7 361 (-25.5 per cent compared with April 2024 but +39.3 per cent compared with May 2023)

* The 12-month moving average for May was 4 820 (3.7 per cent above the 12-month moving average for April 2024 but 8.4 per cent below that for May 2023)

* The total consideration for sale and purchase agreements of building units in May was $62.3 billion (-25.8 per cent compared with April 2024 but +39.8 per cent compared with May 2023)

* Among the sale and purchase agreements, 5 546 were for residential units (-35.1 per cent compared with April 2024 but +38.5 per cent compared with May 2023)

* The total consideration for sale and purchase agreements in respect of residential units was $53.4 billion (-31.1 per cent compared with April 2024 but +45.2 per cent compared with May 2023)

     Statistics on sales of residential units do not include sale and purchase agreements relating to sales of units under the Home Ownership Scheme, the Private Sector Participation Scheme, the Tenants Purchase Scheme, etc, unless the premium of the unit concerned has been paid after the sale restriction period.

     Figures on sale and purchase agreements received for the past 12 months, the year-on-year rate of change and breakdown figures on residential sales have also been released.

     As deeds may not be lodged with the Land Registry until up to 30 days after the transaction, these statistics generally relate to land transactions in the previous month.

Land search
————-
* The number of searches of land registers made by the public in May was 405 058 (+3.4 per cent compared with April 2024 but -2.0 per cent compared with May 2023)

     The statistics cover searches made at the counter, through the self-service terminals and via the Integrated Registration Information System Online Services.

     A total of 105 cases of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection were reported to the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) in the first quarter of 2024, taking the cumulative total of HIV infections reported locally to 12 143 since 1984.

     Of the 105 additional cases involving 83 males and 22 females, 61 (58.1 per cent) acquired the infection via homosexual or bisexual contact, 24 (22.9 per cent) via heterosexual contact. The routes of transmission of the remaining 20 cases have yet to be determined due to incomplete information.

     The new cases were mainly reported by three sources: public hospitals, clinics and laboratories (51 cases); AIDS service organisations (18 cases); the AIDS Unit under the DH (13 cases), and the Social Hygiene Clinics under the DH (13 cases). Also, 79 of the 105 newly reported cases have already received HIV specialist services at the DH or the Hospital Authority.

     Regarding cases of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), 24 new cases were reported in this quarter, of which 11 cases (45.8 per cent) were attributed to homosexual or bisexual contact, and 11 cases (45.8 per cent) were related to heterosexual contact. The route of transmission of the remaining two cases has yet to be determined due to incomplete information. In this quarter, the most common AIDS-defining illness remained to be Pneumocystis pneumonia. Since 1985, a cumulative total of 2 507 confirmed AIDS cases has been reported in Hong Kong.

     Reviewing the latest HIV/AIDS situation in Hong Kong, a spokesman for the CHP said, "Sexual transmission remained the major mode of HIV transmission. Members of the public should use condoms consistently and properly to reduce the risk of acquiring HIV.

     "HIV is the cause of AIDS. Early HIV treatment with antiretroviral drugs effectively prevents progression to AIDS and other complications. Lifelong antiretroviral treatment is indicated for all people with HIV, and the treatment remarkably improves their health and possibility of survival. Moreover, infected people who achieve sustained viral suppression to an undetectable level with treatment will not transmit the virus through sex, i.e. Undetectable = Untransmittable (U=U).

     "Members of the public with a history of unsafe sex should take an HIV antibody test early. Key populations with a higher risk of infection should undergo regular HIV screening, while people who had sex but do not belong to these key populations should consider getting tested at least once. Members of the public can reserve a free, anonymous and confidential HIV antibody test via the DH's HIV Testing Service website (www.hivtest.gov.hk) or AIDS Hotline (2780 2211). They can also order HIV self-test kits (oral fluid-based and blood-based (fingerprick) testing kits) on the HIV Testing Service website, and collect the self-test kits at various pick-up locations in Hong Kong. People with HIV should seek specialist care and HIV treatment as soon as possible," said the spokesman.

     The public may visit the following pages for more information on HIV/AIDS: the Virtual AIDS Office (www.aids.gov.hk), the Red Ribbon Centre (www.rrc.gov.hk), the HIV Testing Service website (www.hivtest.gov.hk) and the Gay Men HIV Information website (www.21171069.gov.hk).

     May 2024 was characterised by cloudier-than-usual weather with localised heavy rain over parts of the New Territories. The mean amount of cloud in the month was 83 per cent, 7 per cent above the normal of 76 per cent. As for monthly rainfall, while over 700 millimetres of rainfall were recorded over parts of Sai Kung, the monthly rainfall recorded at the Observatory was only 292.6 millimetres, near the normal figure of 290.6 millimetres. The accumulated rainfall recorded in the first five months of the year was 582.1 millimetres, slightly below the normal figure of 590.9 millimetres for the same period. The monthly mean temperature of 26.0 degrees was slightly below the normal figure of 26.3 degrees. Attributable to the well-above-normal temperatures in March and April, spring this year from March to May was much warmer than usual. The mean temperature of 24.5 degrees, mean minimum temperature of 22.7 degrees and mean maximum temperature of 27.0 degrees were respectively the second, one of the second and the fourth highest on record for the same period.
 
     Under the influence of a trough of low pressure, the weather of Hong Kong was unsettled with heavy showers and severe squally thunderstorms on the morning of May 1. More than 30 millimetres of rainfall were generally recorded over Hong Kong and rainfall even exceeded 50 millimetres over the eastern part of the territory. Violent gusts exceeding 100 kilometres per hour were also recorded at Cheung Chau. Under the rain, temperatures at the Observatory dropped to a minimum of 22.4 degrees the morning of May 1, the lowest of the month. Affected by a fresh to strong easterly airstream, it was mainly cloudy with a few showers on May 2 and 3. 
 
     The upper-air disturbances associated with the southern branch of a westerly trough affected southern China on May 4. Coupled with a significant low-level convergence and upper-level divergence, persistent thundery showers affected the vicinity of the Pearl River Estuary areas on that day. Locally, it was mainly cloudy with heavy showers and severe squally thunderstorms on May 4. More than 100 millimetres of rainfall were recorded over many places and rainfall even exceeded 400 millimetres over parts of Tseung Kwan O on that day. There were exceptionally severe rainstorms over some areas in the eastern part of the territory in the morning, with an hourly rainfall of 145.5 millimetres recorded at Tseung Kwan O. The heavy rain also necessitated the issuance of the first Red Rainstorm Warning Signal of the year. Moreover, violent gusts of about 110 kilometres per hour were recorded at Cheung Chau Beach that afternoon. According to preliminary reports, there were 16 reports of flooding including 12 cases in Sai Kung and Tseung Kwan O, and 15 reports of landslides in Sai Kung area. In the midst of the downpour, the temperature at the Observatory dropped to the month's lowest of 22.4 degrees again on that day.
 
     With the departure of the upper-air disturbance, apart from thundery showers in the morning, the weather improved with sunny intervals during the day on May 5. Under the influence of an anticyclone aloft, it was mainly fine and hot during the day on May 6. While there were sunny periods on the morning of May 7, the weather became cloudier with a few showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon with the setting in of an easterly airstream. The easterly airstream strengthened gradually and continued to affect the coast of Guangdong, the local weather was mainly cloudy with sunny intervals from May 8 to 11. While the local weather was hot with sunny intervals during the day on May 12, a trough of low pressure edged closer to the coast of southern China and brought heavy showers and thunderstorms to some areas of Hong Kong in the afternoon. More than 30 millimetres of rainfall were recorded over Sha Tin and Sai Kung. With the weakening of the trough of low pressure, the weather became less showery with sunny intervals during the day on May 13.
 
     With the setting in of a fresh to strong easterly airstream on the night of May 13, apart from a few showers on that night and at first the next day, the weather was mainly fine from May 14 to 16. It was very dry during the day on May 16 and the relative humidity over most parts of the territory once fell below 40 per cent. The weather turned cloudier on May 17 and 18. Affected by a trough of low pressure lingering over the coastal areas of Guangdong and the subsequent upper-air disturbance, the local weather became mainly cloudy with occasional showers and a few thunderstorms from May 19 to 25. The showers were particularly heavy on May 21. More than 50 millimetres of rainfall were recorded over most parts of the territory and rainfall even exceeded 200 millimetres over parts of Lantau Island. With the departure of the upper-air disturbance, the showers abated with bright periods on the afternoon of May 26. 

     Under the influence of an active southerly airstream, it was mainly cloudy with showers and a few thunderstorms on May 27. Another trough of low pressure moved across the coast of Guangdong on the early morning of May 28 and brought heavy showers and thunderstorms to Hong Kong. Around 30 millimetres of rainfall were recorded over many places of the territory, and rainfall even exceeded 50 millimetres over Tai Po and Sai Kung. With the trough of low pressure moving to the northern part of the South China Sea, the local weather was hot with sunny intervals during the day on May 28 with temperatures at the Observatory rising to a maximum of 32.0 degrees, the highest of the month. Affected by a strong easterly airstream, it was dry with sunny intervals on May 29. The weather was mainly cloudy with a few showers on May 30. Meanwhile, a broad area of low pressure over the central to northern part of the South China Sea strengthened into a tropical depression on the afternoon of May 30 and the Observatory issued the first tropical cyclone warning signal of this year. The tropical depression intensified into a tropical storm and was named Maliksi on May 31. With Maliksi edging towards the coast of western Guangdong, the local weather deteriorated gradually with occasional showers later that day. More than 10 millimetres of rainfall were recorded over most parts of the territory and rainfall even exceeded 50 millimetres over parts of the New Territories on that day.
 
     Two tropical cyclones occurred over the South China Sea and the western North Pacific in May 2024.
 
     Details of issuance and cancellation of various warnings/signals in the month are summarised in Table 1. Monthly meteorological figures and departures from normal for May are tabulated in Table 2.

     The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (June 4) that in view of a notification from the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) about an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in Sioux County of the State of Iowa in the United States (US), the CFS has instructed the trade to suspend the import of poultry meat and products (including poultry eggs) from the area with immediate effect to protect public health in Hong Kong.

     A CFS spokesman said that according to the Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong imported about 16 480 tonnes of chilled and frozen poultry meat and about 7.73 million poultry eggs from the US in the first three months of this year.

     "The CFS has contacted the American authority over the issue and will closely monitor information issued by the WOAH and the relevant authorities on the avian influenza outbreak. Appropriate action will be taken in response to the development of the situation," the spokesman said.