The interdepartmental working group on festival arrangements, led by the Chief Secretary for Administration, released the following information today (December 20) on the latest situation and arrangements for the upcoming Christmas and New Year festive period.
 
     The Immigration Department (ImmD) estimates that around 13.07 million passengers (including Hong Kong residents and visitors) will pass through Hong Kong's sea, land and air control points during the upcoming Christmas and New Year festive period (from December 21, 2024, to January 1, 2025). The ImmD, in consultation with the Shenzhen General Station of Exit and Entry Frontier Inspection and other Mainland authorities, estimates that around 11.06 million passengers will pass through land boundary control points. The number of outbound and inbound passengers using land boundary control points will be relatively higher on December 25 (Wednesday) and December 29 (Sunday), with around 595 000 passengers and 626 000 passengers respectively.
 
     The ImmD estimates that the passenger traffic at the Lo Wu Control Point, the Lok Ma Chau Spur Line Control Point and the Shenzhen Bay Control Point will be heavy, with a daily average forecast of about 235 000, 203 000 and 131 000 passengers respectively.
 
     In view of the New Year's Eve countdown fireworks display, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government has discussed with the Shenzhen Municipal Government to extend the service hours of boundary control points on New Year's Eve, including the proposal to extend the passenger clearance service at Shenzhen Bay Control Point from the original closure time at midnight to operating overnight; and to extend the passenger clearance service at the Lo Wu Control Point from the original closure time at midnight to 2am the next day. The Mainland port authorities have duly reported to the national port authorities for approval according to the required procedures. Further details will be announced as soon as possible. The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Port and the Lok Ma Chau/Huanggang Port will maintain a 24-hour operation as usual on New Year's Eve.
 
     To cope with the anticipated heavy traffic during the festive period, the ImmD has minimised leave for frontline officers for flexible deployment, and operation of extra clearance counters and kiosks. Additional security guards will also be deployed to provide crowd management support.
 
     Furthermore, the ImmD, the Hong Kong Police Force, the Customs and Excise Department and the MTR Corporation Limited will set up a joint command centre at the Lo Wu Control Point to make necessary arrangements. The ImmD will also establish close communication with Mainland authorities, including the Shenzhen General Station of Exit and Entry Frontier Inspection. To ensure a smooth passenger traffic flow, passenger conditions will be closely monitored and appropriate traffic diversion plans will be adopted when necessary.
 
     To avoid congestion and a longer than usual waiting time for immigration clearance, the ImmD advises all land boundary passengers to plan in advance, avoid making their journeys during busy periods and keep track of radio and TV broadcasts on traffic conditions at various control points. The expected busy times at boundary control points are available on the website of the ImmD at www.immd.gov.hk. Furthermore, passengers may also check the estimated waiting times at each land boundary control point at any time or place via the Immigration Mobile Application (ImmD Mobile App). They can then plan their trips effectively and save time queuing at control points. The ImmD Mobile App can be downloaded free of charge from the Apple App Store (supports iOS version 12.0 or above), Google Play (supports Android version 8.0 or above), Huawei AppGallery (supports Android version 8.0 or above) and the APK file available on the ImmD website. Passengers can download the ImmD Mobile App by scanning the QR code (see Annex) or via the ImmD website, www.immd.gov.hk. In addition, information on public transport services to and from various control points is available on the Transport Department website at www.td.gov.hk.
 
     For travellers making journeys to the Mainland, the ImmD reminds them to carry their proof of identity and valid travel documents for crossing the boundary. Hong Kong residents should also check the validity of their Home Visit Permits. Non-permanent residents must carry their valid smart identity card as well as their Document of Identity for Visa Purposes or valid travel document.
 
     Holders of the acknowledgement receipt issued due to reported loss or replacement of their Hong Kong identity cards, or children under 11 years old who hold Hong Kong identity cards, should carry a valid travel document or Re-entry Permit.
 
     About 700 e-Channels have been installed at various control points. Hong Kong residents enrolled for the Express e-Channel should re-enrol if they have been issued a new identity card. Furthermore, the Contactless e-Channel service is available at all control points now. All eligible Hong Kong residents, after enrolment, can generate an encrypted QR code through the Contactless e-Channel mobile application to enter the e-Channel, and then verify their identity with the facial verification technology for automated immigration clearance.
 
     In addition, all control points have introduced self-service departures for visitors to Hong Kong (Smart Departure) which provides greater travel convenience for visitors. The service employs facial recognition technology for identity verification, which allows eligible visitors holding electronic travel documents to perform self-service departure clearance through Smart Departure e-Channels without prior enrolment.
 
     Hong Kong residents who require assistance while travelling outside Hong Kong may call the 24-hour hotline of the Assistance to Hong Kong Residents Unit of the ImmD at (852) 1868.
 
     The interdepartmental working group on festival arrangements is tasked with holistically co-ordinating and steering the preparatory work of various government departments for welcoming visitors to Hong Kong during the New Year's Eve and New Year holidays, as well as strengthening information dissemination to enable the public and visitors to plan their itineraries according to the latest situation.

     The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (December 20) released the latest grading of water quality for six gazetted beaches that are open all year round for swimming.
 
     Three beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1), and three as Fair (Grade 2).
 
 
Grade 1 beaches are:          

 
Grade 2 beaches are:

 
     Compared with the grading released last week, there was no change in the grading for these beaches.
 
     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. Members of the public can also obtain the latest daily water quality forecast information for all beaches that are open for swimming through the EPD's dedicated webpage on the beach water quality forecast (www.epd.gov.hk/en/BWQForecast).

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

     â€‹The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) and the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates (CBUAE) held the second bilateral meeting in Hong Kong today (December 20), further solidifying co-operation and connectivity between the financial services sectors of the two jurisdictions.
      
     Following the first bilateral meeting in Abu Dhabi in May 2023, the HKMA and the CBUAE have continued engaging in in-depth discussions covering several major areas, including cross-border debt capital market connectivity, financial infrastructure development, and investment outlook and opportunities in both the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region and Mainland China.
      
     In this connection, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed today by the Chief Executive of the HKMA, Mr Eddie Yue, and the Governor of the CBUAE, H.E. Khaled Mohamed Balama, to strengthen and formalise the co-operation arrangements. Under the MOU, the two authorities have agreed to establish connectivity of the debt capital markets and the related financial market infrastructures between Hong Kong and the UAE with a view to facilitating cross-border debt securities issuance and investment activities.
      
     Mr Yue said, "We are delighted to welcome the CBUAE delegation to Hong Kong. Today's discussions strengthened the financial collaboration between the two central banks in several important areas. The MOU, in particular, will further enhance mutual co-operation and the exchange of expertise between the HKMA and the CBUAE in debt capital markets, and reinforce Hong Kong's strategic role as a gateway to both the Renminbi and international debt markets. There is significant potential for the financial sectors of both sides to explore new business opportunities. We look forward to our continued collaboration with the CBUAE to strengthen investment and financial market connectivity between the Middle East and Asia."
      
     H.E. Khaled Mohamed Balama said, "I am glad to see encouraging progress made today between the two central banks in agreeing on the way forward on debt capital market development and collaboration. We aim at unlocking the potential of the two debt capital markets to allow seamless and cost-effective cross-border debt securities issuance, trading, investment, settlement as well as collateral management. This initiative will help the UAE become the gateway for issuers and investors in the MENA region to have efficient access to the China and Asian debt markets, whilst also, allowing Chinese and Asian issuers and investors to gain direct access to the MENA debt market through the UAE."

    

     The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department released the first report under the Second Hong Kong Total Diet Study today (December 20). This report examined the levels of sulphites in food and the associated dietary exposure. The findings showed that the Hong Kong population's dietary exposure to sulphites was well below the Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) allocated for sulphites, indicating a low health concern.

     The Second Hong Kong Total Diet Study aims to estimate the latest dietary exposure of the Hong Kong population and various population subgroups to some chemical substances of potential food safety concern, and in turn assess the associated health risks. The Study commenced in February 2023. A total of over 2 200 samples of over 180 food items were collected and prepared to the status in which the food could be normally consumed. The prepared samples were then pooled to form over 370 composite samples for laboratory analysis of various groups of chemical substances covering food additives, metallic contaminants, mycotoxins, persistent organic pollutants, pesticide residues and process contaminants, etc.

     In this report, sulphites (including sulphur dioxide) refer to a group of multifunctional food additives, particularly as preservatives and antioxidants, which have a long history of use in food production.

     A spokesman for the CFS said, "Acute toxicity of sulphites is low. However, chronic excessive exposure to sulphites was found to cause local irritation of the stomach and induce adverse effects on the central nervous system in experimental animals. Exposure to sulphites may lead to bronchoconstriction and other adverse reactions in certain population subgroups with allergic conditions."

     The Joint Food and Agriculture Organization/World Health Organization Expert Committee on Food Additives allocated a group ADI of 0 to 0.7 milligram/kilogram body weight (bw) to sulphites.

     Out of a total of 185 food items tested for sulphites, only 17 (about 9 per cent) were found to contain sulphites. Dried fruits were detected with the highest mean concentration of sulphites (240 mg/kg), followed by button mushrooms, red and white wine, and preserved vegetables, with a mean concentration of 20 to 30 mg/kg. The remaining food items with detectable levels of sulphites were found with a mean concentration of 10 mg/kg or below.

     According to the findings, the estimated dietary exposure was 0.010 to 0.037 mg/kg bw/day and 0.021 to 0.055 mg/kg bw/day for average and high consumers of the adult population respectively, which accounted for 1.5 to 5.3 per cent and 3.0 to 7.9 per cent of the ADI allocated for sulphites. For the younger population (aged 6 to 17), the estimated dietary exposure was 0.012 to 0.051 mg/kg bw/day and 0.028 to 0.078 mg/kg bw/day for average and high consumers respectively, which accounted for 1.8 to 7.3 per cent and 3.9 to 11 per cent of the ADI.

     The spokesman reminded members of the public to maintain a balanced diet to avoid excessive exposure to sulphites from a small range of food. When purchasing prepackaged food products, consumers can refer to the food labels to know whether the products contain sulphites. In particular, susceptible individuals who are sensitive to sulphites should avoid foods that contain sulphites by paying close attention to the food labels.

     The Second Hong Kong Total Diet Study commenced in February 2023 and is expected to be completed by the end of 2026. The reports of other groups of chemical substances will be released in phases and uploaded to the CFS webpage at www.cfs.gov.hk.

     A red tide was sighted over the past week, the Inter-departmental Red Tide Working Group reported today (December 20).

     On December 18, staff of the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) spotted a red tide in the south-western waters of Hong Kong, including Ma Wan, Lo Tik Wan, Sok Kwu Wan and Cheung Sha Wan fish culture zones. The red tide still persists, and no associated fish deaths have been reported as of today.

     A spokesman for the working group said, "The red tide was formed by Phaeocystis globosa, which is commonly found in Hong Kong waters. According to literature overseas, the algal species can produce foam that may affect fish."

     The AFCD urged mariculturists at Lo Tik Wan, Sok Kwu Wan, Ma Wan and Cheung Sha Wan fish culture zones to monitor the situation closely and increase aeration where necessary.

     Red tide is a natural phenomenon. The AFCD's proactive phytoplankton monitoring programme will continue to monitor red tide occurrences to minimise the impact on the mariculture industry and the public.