In connection with recent cases related to phone scams, the Immigration Department (ImmD) remains very concerned and has been in close contact with the Hong Kong Police Force. In some cases, victims received pre-recorded voice calls from scammers posing as immigration officers informing them that they would have immigration restrictions imposed on them. Such calls were subsequently transferred to another scammer posing as a non-local law enforcement officer, who asked the call recipient to provide sensitive information such as personal particulars, bank account numbers and passwords.

     An ImmD spokesman again reminded members of the public that the ImmD does not make any pre-recorded voice calls to members of the public, and that the ImmD will not transfer calls to other non-local authorities and will not ask the call recipient to provide information such as bank account numbers and passwords.

     The public should remain vigilant and verify the identity of a caller when contacted by phone, and should not disclose personal information to others arbitrarily. If there is any doubt, please call the ImmD's enquiry hotline on 2824 6111 or email enquiry@immd.gov.hk.

     Anyone suspecting a scam should immediately report it to the Police.

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     The spokesperson for Kwai Chung Hospital made the following announcement today (August 15):
 
     Nine patients (aged 23 to 60) in a male psychiatric acute ward have presented with respiratory symptoms since August 14. Appropriate viral tests were arranged for the patients and their test results were positive to Influenza A. One of the patients has been transferred to Princess Margaret Hospital for further treatment and the other eight patients are being treated under isolation and are in a stable condition.
 
     Admission to the ward and visiting 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€‹An online trader was convicted and fined $3,000 today (August 15) at Kowloon City Magistrates' Courts for supplying SD cards to which a false trade description had been applied, in contravention of the Trade Descriptions Ordinance (TDO). 

     Hong Kong Customs earlier received information alleging the sale of SD cards with a false trade description by an online trader. Customs officers then conducted a test-buy operation via an internet trading platform and purchased a type of SD card claimed to have a storage capacity of 128GB. 

     After investigation and expert examination, it was confirmed that the actual storage capacity is about 31GB only, which is around 24 per cent of the declared storage capacity.

     Online shopping has become more popular but there is a risk. Consumers are urged to stay alert when shopping online and to patronise shops with good reputations. Online traders should also comply with the requirements of the TDO. Hong Kong Customs will continue to step up enforcement against unfair trade practices on the Internet.

     Under the TDO, any person who supplies goods with a false trade description in the course of trade or business, or is in possession of any goods for sale with a false trade description, commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $500,000 and imprisonment for five years.

     Members of the public may report any suspected violation of the TDO to Customs' 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk). 

     The Home Affairs Department will open 19 temporary night heat shelters tonight (August 15) for people in need of the service.
 
     The shelters will be open from 10.30pm until 8am tomorrow.
 
     For further information, please call the department's hotline before midnight on 2835 1473.
 
     The 19 night heat shelters are located at:
 
Hong Kong Districts:
———————
 
Central and Western –
Sai Ying Pun Community Complex Community Hall
3/F, Sai Ying Pun Community Complex
2 High Street, Sai Ying Pun
 
Eastern –
Causeway Bay Community Centre
3/F, 7 Fook Yum Road, Causeway Bay
 
Southern –
Lei Tung Community Hall
Lei Tung Estate, Ap Lei Chau
 
Wan Chai –
Wan Chai Activities Centre
LG/F, Wan Chai Market, 258 Queen's Road East, Wan Chai
 
Kowloon Districts:
——————
 
Kowloon City –
Hung Hom Community Hall
1/F, Kowloon City Government Offices
42 Bailey Street, Hung Hom
 
Kwun Tong –
Lam Tin (West) Estate Community Centre
71 Kai Tin Road, Lam Tin

Sham Shui Po –
Shek Kip Mei Community Hall
G/F, Block 42, Shek Kip Mei Estate
Sham Shui Po
 
Wong Tai Sin –
Tsz Wan Shan (South) Estate Community Centre
45 Wan Wah Street, Tsz Wan Shan
 
Yau Tsim Mong –
Henry G. Leong Yaumatei Community Centre
60 Public Square Street, Yau Ma Tei
 
New Territories Districts:
————————–
 
Islands –
Tung Chung Community Hall
G/F, Tung Chung Municipal Services Building,
39 Man Tung Road, Tung Chung
 
Kwai Tsing –
Kwai Shing Community Hall
Podium, Block 6, Kwai Shing West Estate, Kwai Chung
 
North –
Cheung Wah Community Hall
Cheung Wah Estate, Fanling
 
Sai Kung –
Hang Hau Community Hall
G/F, Sai Kung Tseung Kwan O Government Complex,
38 Pui Shing Road, Hang Hau, Tseung Kwan O
 
Sha Tin –
Lung Hang Estate Community Centre
Lung Hang Estate, Sha Tin
 
Tai Po –
Tai Po Community Centre
2 Heung Sze Wui Street, Tai Po
 
Tsuen Wan –
Lei Muk Shue Community Hall
G/F, Hong Shue House, Lei Muk Shue Estate, Tsuen Wan
 
Tuen Mun –
Butterfly Bay Community Centre
Butterfly Estate (near Tip Sum House), Tuen Mun
 
Yuen Long –
Long Ping Community Hall
Long Ping Estate, Yuen Long
 
Yuen Long –
Tin Yiu Community Centre
Tin Yiu Estate, Tin Shui Wai

     The temporary night heat shelters will resume their functions as either community centres or community halls in the daytime for hire by the local community and cannot continue to be open as heat shelters. People may choose to take refuge from the heat during the daytime in the common areas in any of the 20 designated community centres or community halls. Their opening hours are from 9am to 10pm. For addresses of the community centres or community halls, please browse the following webpage: www.had.gov.hk/file_manager/en/documents/public_services/emergency_services/List_CH_CC_Day_E.pdf.

     The Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) published today (August 15) the August 2019 issue of the "Hong Kong Monthly Digest of Statistics" (HKMDS).

     Apart from providing up-to-date statistics, this issue also contains three feature articles entitled "Composite Employment Estimates 2018", "Statistics on Chinese Medicine in Hong Kong, 2018" and "Cross-boundary Travel Survey 2017". Statistics presented in the "Cross-boundary Travel Survey 2017" article are based on the data source from the Planning Department.

"Composite Employment Estimates 2018"

     In studies of employment statistics, the issue of discrepancies observed between the employment data obtained from establishment-based surveys which refer to occupied posts in firms, and those data obtained from household surveys which refer to persons employed, is common. To tackle this, the C&SD has been compiling a set of Composite Employment Estimates (CEE) which reconcile, under a designated statistical framework, the results obtained from the household-based General Household Survey and the establishment-based Quarterly Survey of Employment and Vacancies since 1997.

     This feature article provides the CEE figures in individual industries for 2013 to 2018. It also gives an account of the characteristics of CEE and briefly discusses the differences and usage of the CEE vis-à-vis the other employment figures.

     For enquiries about this feature article, please contact the Employment Statistics and Central Register of Establishments Section, C&SD (Tel: 2582 4751; email: employment@censtatd.gov.hk).

"Statistics on Chinese Medicine in Hong Kong, 2018"

      In recent years, the Chinese medicine sector has developed steadily in Hong Kong. The Chinese medicine sector comprises: (a) manufacture of Chinese medicines; (b) distribution of Chinese medicines, including import/export, wholesale and retail trades; and (c) practising Chinese medicine, including Chinese medicine practitioners of general practice, acupuncture and bone-setting.

     This feature article discusses the updated situation of some Chinese medicine industries including the manufacture of Chinese medicines and the distribution of Chinese medicines, as well as the external trade of Chinese herbal medicines.

     For enquiries about this feature article, please contact the Distribution Services Statistics Section, C&SD (Tel: 3903 7398; email: asw@censtatd.gov.hk).

"Cross-boundary Travel Survey 2017"

     The socio-economic ties between the mainland of China, Macao and Hong Kong are growing stronger, leading to persistent growth in cross-boundary travel over the years. This feature article briefly describes the characteristics of cross-boundary passenger and vehicle trips, based on the data obtained from the Cross-boundary Travel Survey 2017 conducted by the Planning Department in November 2017.

     For enquiries about this feature article, please contact the Cross-boundary Infrastructure and Development Section, Planning Department (Tel: 2231 4707; email: cidpd@pland.gov.hk).

     Published in bilingual form, the HKMDS is a compact volume of official statistics containing about 140 tables. It collects up-to-date statistical series on various aspects of the social and economic situation of Hong Kong. Topics include population; labour; external trade; National Income and Balance of Payments; prices; business performance; energy; housing and property; government accounts, finance and insurance; and transport, communications and tourism. For selected key statistical items, over 20 charts depicting the annual trend in the past decade and quarterly or monthly trend in the recent two years are also available. Users can download the Digest free of charge at the website of the C&SD (www.censtatd.gov.hk/hkstat/sub/sp460.jsp?productCode=B1010002).

     Enquiries about the contents of the Digest can be directed to the Statistical Information Dissemination Section of the C&SD (Tel: 2582 4738; email: gen-enquiry@censtatd.gov.hk).