The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     The spokesperson for Kwai Chung Hospital made the following announcement today (April 30):

     Four patients (aged 39 to 79) in a female psychiatric ward have presented with fever and respiratory symptoms since April 27. Appropriate viral tests were arranged for the patients and their test results were positive for Influenza A. The patients concerned are being treated in isolation. All the patients are in stable condition.

     Admission and visiting arrangements to the ward concerned have been suspended. Infection control measures have already been stepped up according to established guidelines. All other patients in the ward are under close surveillance.

     The cases have been reported to the Hospital Authority Head Office and the Centre for Health Protection for necessary follow-up.

     â€‹The Government today (April 30) announced the appointments to the Cantonese Opera Advisory Committee (the Committee) for the period from May 1, 2024, to April 30, 2026.
      
    The Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau thanked the six outgoing members (Ms Kuk Man-yu, Mr Lan Lianqin (Lan Tin-yau), Mr Ng Lap-hei, Ms Kitty Tsui Kit-yee (Tsui Yong-yong), Dr Elizabeth Wang Ming-chun and Ms Ivy Wong Mun-ha (Fong Suet-ying)) for their valuable contributions to the Committee and to the promotion of Cantonese opera development in Hong Kong.

     The full membership of the Committee with effect from May 1, 2024, is as follows:

Professor Lui Yu-hon (Chairman)
Ms Susanna Cheng Wing-mui
Ms Cheung Man-wai
Mr Andrew Fung Hau-chung
Mr Nick Ip Ka-po*
Mr Ko Wing-hei*
Mr Li Qiuyuan*
Professor Ricardo Mak King-sang
Professor Qin Rong*
Mr Seto Yok (Loong Koon-tin)*
Ms Tang Mi-ling
Mr Vong Seng-pan*
Mr Wan Kwong-shing (Wan Yuk-yu)
Ms Connie Yiu Wai-ha
Mr Maurice Lee Wai-man (Chairman of the Cantonese Opera Development Fund Advisory Committee)
Representative of the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts
Representative of the Hong Kong Arts Development Council
Representative of the Hong Kong Tourism Board
Representative of the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority
Representative of the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau
Representative of the Education Bureau
Representative of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department

* New appointees

     Owing to the thunderstorm warning, the flag-lowering ceremony to be conducted at Golden Bauhinia Square, Wan Chai at 6pm today (April 30) will be cancelled.

     If the thunderstorm warning is cancelled and weather conditions permit by then, the flag-lowering ceremony may be resumed without further notice.

     The Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) today (April 30) appealed to members of the public to keep places clean and mind their safety while watching the pyrotechnics display at the Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade tomorrow (May 1).

     The LCSD, together with the law enforcement teams of other relevant departments, will strengthen patrols at the Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade where large crowds are expected. Measures will be stepped up to tackle littering, illegal hawking and vandalism. 

     A spokesman for the LCSD warned that littering offenders will be subject to a fixed penalty of $3,000. 

     Moreover, the Signal Hill Garden, Middle Road Children's Playground and Tsim Sha Tsui East Waterfront Podium Garden will be temporarily closed from 5.30pm till 8.30pm tomorrow for crowd management.

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

     According to statistics published today (April 30) by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, total deposits with authorized institutions increased by 0.2 per cent in March 2024. Among the total, Hong Kong dollar deposits increased by 0.7 per cent while foreign currency deposits decreased by 0.2 per cent in March. In the first quarter of 2024, total deposits decreased by 0.2 per cent while Hong Kong dollar deposits increased by 0.1 per cent. Renminbi deposits in Hong Kong decreased by 2.0 per cent in March to RMB944.7 billion at the end of March. The total remittance of renminbi for cross-border trade settlement amounted to RMB1,248.4 billion in March, compared with RMB1,064.4 billion in February. It should be noted that changes in deposits are affected by a wide range of factors, such as interest rate movements and fund-raising activities. It is therefore more appropriate to observe the longer-term trends, and not to over-generalise fluctuations in a single month.

     Total loans and advances increased by 0.8 per cent in March, while decreased by 1.0 per cent in the first quarter of 2024. Among the total, loans for use in Hong Kong (including trade finance) and loans for use outside Hong Kong increased by 0.8 per cent and 0.7 per cent respectively in March. The Hong Kong dollar loan-to-deposit ratio decreased to 83.2 per cent at the end of March from 83.7 per cent at the end of February, as Hong Kong dollar deposits increased while Hong Kong dollar loans remained virtually unchanged.

     For the first quarter of 2024 as a whole, loans for use in Hong Kong (including trade finance) decreased by 1.2 per cent after declining by 0.1 per cent in the previous quarter. Analysed by economic use, the decrease in loans during the first quarter was mainly led by loans to financial concerns and loans to wholesale and retail trade sector.

     Hong Kong dollar M2 and M3 both increased by 0.6 per cent in March while both decreased by 0.4 per cent when compared to a year ago. The seasonally-adjusted Hong Kong dollar M1 decreased by 1.0 per cent in March and decreased by 11.4 per cent compared to a year ago, reflecting in part investment-related activities. Total M2 and total M3 both increased by 0.2 per cent in March. Compared to a year earlier, total M2 and total M3 both increased by 3.4 per cent.

     As monthly monetary statistics are subject to volatilities due to a wide range of transient factors, such as seasonal and IPO-related funding demand as well as business and investment-related activities, caution is required when interpreting the statistics.