Author Archives: hksar gov

     The Lands Department (LandsD) announced today (April 15) that it registered nine lease modifications and two land exchanges in the Land Registry during the quarter ending March 2019, of which three were modifications of a … read more

Attention TV/radio announcers:   Please broadcast the following as soon as possible and repeat it at regular intervals:        Here is an item of interest to swimmers.        The Leisure and … read more

     The effective exchange rate index for the Hong Kong dollar on Monday, April 15, 2019 is 103.4 (same as last Saturday’s index).

     The effective exchange rate index for the Hong Kong dollar on Saturday, April 13, 2019 is 103.4 (down 0.2 against last Friday’s index). read more

     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health today (April 15) 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 7 to 13, three community-acquired LD cases were reported. They are:
 

1. A male patient, aged 59 with underlying illnesses, who lives in Hop Kwai House, Kwai Chung Estate, Kwai Tsing;
2. A male patient, aged 46 with underlying illnesses, who lives in Quanzhou, Fujian; and
3. A male patient, aged 53 with underlying illnesses, who lives in Block 10, Tsui Chuk Garden, Wong Tai Sin.

     “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 April 13, 18 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.  read more

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

     Apart from providing up-to-date statistics, this issue also contains two feature articles entitled “Hong Kong’s Balance of Payments, 2009 to 2018” and “Statistics on Innovation Activities in Hong Kong, 2013 to 2017”.

“Hong Kong’s Balance of Payments, 2009 to 2018”

     The Balance of Payments (BoP) records economic transactions between Hong Kong and the rest of the world. BoP represents a comprehensive set of statistics, covering trade in goods and services, investment and income. These statistics on cross-border transactions are useful for monitoring financial flows between Hong Kong and other economies, thus providing an objective basis for gauging financial soundness and policy formulation.

     This feature article highlights the salient features of Hong Kong’s BoP as well as the latest trends from 2009 to 2018.

     For enquiries about this feature article, please contact the Balance of Payments Branch, C&SD (Tel: 3903 6979; email: bop@censtatd.gov.hk).

“Statistics on Innovation Activities in Hong Kong, 2013 to 2017”

     Innovation is a key impetus to economic growth and development towards a knowledge-based economy. Innovation activities encompass research and development activities, product and process innovation activities as well as organisational and marketing innovation activities which are not directly related to technological advancement but help enhance competitiveness and business performance.

     Statistics on innovation activities are useful in shedding light on the diffusion of innovation activities in an economy and can offer insight into possible development areas. This feature article aims at portraying the latest development of innovation activities in Hong Kong, with separate analyses for research and development, technological innovation and non-technological innovation activities.

     For enquiries about this feature article, please contact the Science and Technology Statistics Section, C&SD (Tel: 3903 7282; email: stb1@censtatd.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 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 C&SD (Tel: 2582 4738; email: gen-enquiry@censtatd.gov.hk). read more