The following is issued on behalf of the Legislative Council Secretariat:
 
     The first meeting of the Legislative Council Subcommittee on Trade Descriptions Ordinance (Amendment of Schedule 1) Notice 2019 originally scheduled for tomorrow (May 7) at 9am has been cancelled.
 

     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health today (May 6) reported the latest number of cases of Legionnaires' disease (LD), and stressed the importance of using and maintaining properly designed man-made water systems, and that susceptible groups should strictly observe relevant precautions.

     From April 28 to May 4, three community-acquired LD cases were reported. They are:
 

1. A female patient, aged 67 with underlying illnesses, who lives in Sau Ming House, Sau Mau Ping Estate, Kwun Tong;
2. A male patient, aged 61 with underlying illnesses, who lives in Block 9, Nice Villa, Hang Tau, Sheung Shui; and
3. A male patient, aged 73 with underlying illnesses, who lives in Block 2, Liberte, Sham Shui Po, and has passed away.

     "Epidemiological investigations are ongoing to identify potential sources of infection, high-risk exposure and clusters, if any," a spokesman for the CHP said.

     As of May 4, 22 LD cases had been reported in 2019. In 2018 and 2017, there were 105 and 72 cases respectively.

     "Men, people aged over 50, smokers, alcoholics and persons with weakened immunity are more susceptible to LD. Some situations may also increase the risk of infection, including poor maintenance of water systems leading to stagnant water; living in areas with old water systems, cooling towers or fountains; using electric water heaters, whirlpools and spas or hot water spring spas; and recent stays in hotels or vessels," the spokesman said.

     Legionellae are found in various environmental settings and grow well in warm water (20 to 45 degrees Celsius). They can be found in aqueous environments such as water tanks, hot and cold water systems, cooling towers, whirlpools and spas, water fountains and home apparatus which support breathing. People may get infected when they breathe in contaminated droplets (aerosols) and mist generated by artificial water systems, or when handling garden soil, compost and potting mixes.

     Immunocompromised persons should:
 

• Use sterile or boiled water for drinking, tooth brushing and mouth rinsing;
• Avoid using humidifiers, or other mist- or aerosol-generating devices. A shower may also generate small aerosols; and
• If using humidifiers, or other mist- or aerosol-generating devices, fill the water tank with only sterile or cooled freshly boiled water, and not water directly from the tap. Also, clean and maintain humidifiers/devices regularly according to manufacturers' instructions. Never leave stagnant water in a humidifier/device. Empty the water tank, wipe all surfaces dry, and change the water daily.

     The public should observe the health advice below:
 

• Observe personal hygiene;
• Do not smoke and avoid alcohol consumption;
• Strainers in water taps and shower heads should be inspected, cleaned, descaled and disinfected regularly or at a frequency recommended by the manufacturer;
• If a fresh water plumbing system is properly maintained, it is not necessary to install domestic water filters. Use of water filters is not encouraged as clogging occurs easily, which can promote growth of micro-organisms. In case water filters are used, the pore size should be 0.2 micrometres (µm) and the filter needs to be changed periodically according to the manufacturer's recommendations;
• Drain and clean water tanks of buildings at least quarterly;
• Drain or purge for at least one minute infrequently used water outlets (e.g. water taps, shower heads and hot water outlets) and stagnant points of the pipework weekly or before use;
• Seek and follow doctors' professional advice regarding the use and maintenance of home respiratory devices and use only sterile water (not distilled or tap water) to clean and fill the reservoir. Clean and maintain the device regularly according to the manufacturer's instructions. After cleaning/disinfection, rinse the device with sterile water, cooled freshly boiled water or water filtered with 0.2 µm filters. Never leave stagnant water in the device. Empty the water tank, keep all surfaces dry, and change the water daily; and
• When handling garden soil, compost and potting mixes:

     1. Wear gloves and a face mask;
     2. Water gardens and compost gently using low pressure;
     3. Open composted potting mixes slowly and make sure the opening is directed away from the face;
     4. Wet the soil to reduce dust when potting plants; and
     5. Avoid working in poorly ventilated places such as enclosed greenhouses.

     The public may visit the CHP's LD page, the Code of Practice for Prevention of LD and the Housekeeping Guidelines for Cold and Hot Water Systems for Building Management of the Prevention of LD Committee, and the CHP's risk-based strategy for prevention and control of LD. 

The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority: 
 
     The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) published today (May 6) the results of Survey on Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs)' Credit Conditions for the first quarter of 2019.
 
     Regarding SMEs' perception of banks' credit approval stance relative to six months ago, 81 per cent of respondents perceived similar or easier credit approval stance in the first quarter of 2019, compared with 78 per cent recorded in the previous quarter (Chart 1 in the Annex). 19 per cent of respondents perceived more difficult credit approval stance relative to six months ago in the first quarter of 2019, as compared to 22 per cent in the previous quarter.
 
     Of those respondents with existing credit lines, 90 per cent reported that banks' stance on existing credit lines was easier or unchanged in the first quarter of 2019, up from 84 per cent recorded in the previous quarter (Chart 2 in the Annex). 10 per cent of respondents reported tightened banks' stance on existing credit lines in the first quarter of 2019, as compared to 16 per cent in the previous quarter.
 
     The Survey also gauged the results of new credit applications from SMEs. 1.3 per cent of respondents reported that they had applied for new bank credit during the first quarter of 2019. For respondents who already know their application outcomes, 97 per cent reported fully or partially successful applications, up from 94 per cent in the previous quarter; the proportion of respondents that reported fully successful applications slightly dropped to 55 per cent from 57 per cent in the previous quarter (Chart 3 in the Annex). The proportion of respondents that reported unsuccessful application dropped from 6 per cent to 3 per cent. It should be noted that owing to a small sample size (i.e. 1.3 per cent of surveyed SMEs), the results on new credit applications from SMEs could be prone to large fluctuations. Care should be taken when interpreting the survey results.
 
About Survey on SMEs' Credit Conditions
 
     In light of the importance of SMEs to the Hong Kong economy and concerns about potential funding difficulties facing SMEs over the past few years, the HKMA has appointed the Hong Kong Productivity Council (HKPC) to carry out this Survey, starting from the third quarter of 2016. This Survey is conducted on a quarterly basis, covering about 2 500 SMEs from different economic sectors each time. The results of this Survey can help monitor the development of SMEs' access to bank credit from a demand-side perspective.
 
     The results of this Survey should be interpreted with caution. Similar to other opinion surveys, views collected in this Survey may be affected by changes in sentiment due to idiosyncratic events that occurred over the Survey period, which can make the results prone to fluctuations. Readers are advised to interpret the results together with other economic and financial information. In addition, views collected are limited to the expected direction of inter-quarter changes (e.g. "tighter", "similar" or "easier") without providing information about the magnitude of these changes.
 
     Detailed tables and technical information of this Survey are published on the website of the HKPC (smecc.hkpc.org).

     The effective exchange rate index for the Hong Kong dollar on Monday, May 6, 2019 is 104.2 (up 0.4 against last Saturday's index).

     The effective exchange rate index for the Hong Kong dollar on Saturday, May 4, 2019 was 103.8 (down 0.1 against last Friday's index).

     The Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Dr Law Chi-kwong, was saddened today (May 6) to learn of the passing of the Chief Executive of the Association for the Rights of Industrial Accident Victims, Mr Chan Kam-hong.

     "I have known Mr Chan for over 30 years, and have been most impressed by his strong commitment and passion. Under Mr Chan's leadership, the Association supports industrial accident victims and their families, and promotes employees' health, rehabilitation as well as employees' rights and benefits. Over the years, the Association has been the Government's partner in promoting occupational safety and health, and also provided valuable inputs on various labour policies on employees' compensation. On behalf of the Bureau and the Labour Department, I would like to extend my deepest condolences to his family," Dr Law said.