The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, presented the Award of the Year for the Hong Kong ICT Awards 2019 to Redspots Creative (Hong Kong) Co Ltd at the presentation ceremony tonight (April 4). The company, which is also the Grand Award Winner of the Digital Entertainment Grand Award, outclassed seven other Grand Award category winners with its winning entry Virtual Idol System and achieved the highest accolade.
 
     Mrs Lam said that the ICT Awards reflect Hong Kong's business and community life with award categories ranging from digital entertainment, FinTech, start-ups and smart business to smart living, smart mobility, smart people and student innovation. Noting that ICT is also a core component in many smart city applications, Mrs Lam encouraged the winners to continue their commitment to innovation and technology excellence and create a better future for the community.
 
     Since its debut in 2006, the Awards have been recognising and promoting outstanding information and communications technology inventions and applications. It is also a springboard for award winners to excel further and extend their market presence in the international arena. During the past year, a total of 16 winning entries from the last Hong Kong ICT Awards have won further awards at the Asia Pacific ICT Alliance Awards.
 
     Steered by the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO) and with the concerted efforts of all Leading Organisers, the Steering Committee and Standards Assurance Sub-committee, the Grand Judging Panel, judges and supporting organisations, the Hong Kong ICT Awards attracted over 800 entries this year. The Chairman of the Grand Judging Panel, Professor Rocky Tuan, praised the high standard of entries and said, "The outstanding quality of this year's entries convincingly testifies to the creativity and capability of Hong Kong's information and communications technology talent, proving that Hong Kong has what it takes and the competitive edge to develop into a world-leading smart city."
 
     At the ceremony, the Secretary for Innovation and Technology, Mr Nicholas W Yang, presented Grand Awards to the winners of the eight award categories to celebrate their remarkable achievements. The winners are:
 

 
     Detailed information of the winners and the event are available on the website of the Hong Kong ICT Awards (www.hkictawards.hk).

          

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     Regarding an earlier announcement on a cluster of patients infected with Influenza A in a male psychiatric ward, the spokesperson for Shatin Hospital gave the following update today (April 4):

     Two more patients (aged 33 and 61) presented with respiratory symptoms in the ward. Appropriate viral tests were arranged for the patients and the test results were positive for Influenza A. Both patients are being treated under isolation and are in stable condition.

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

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

     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health today (April 4) reported a suspected case of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), and again urged the public to pay special attention to safety during travel, taking due consideration of the health risks in the places they visit. The case is detailed below:
 

     "Travellers to the Middle East should avoid going to farms, barns or markets with camels; avoid contact with sick persons and animals, especially camels, birds or poultry; and avoid unnecessary visits to healthcare facilities. We strongly advise travel agents organising tours to the Middle East to abstain from arranging camel rides and activities involving direct contact with camels, which are known risk factors for acquiring MERS Coronavirus (MERS-CoV)," a spokesman for the CHP said.

     Locally, the CHP's surveillance with public and private hospitals, with practising doctors and at boundary control points is firmly in place. Inbound travellers and members of the public who recently visited the Middle East and developed fever or lower respiratory symptoms within 14 days will be classified as suspected MERS cases. They will be taken to public hospitals for isolation and management until their specimens test negative for MERS-CoV.

     Travellers to affected areas should maintain vigilance, adopt appropriate health precautions and take heed of personal, food and environmental hygiene. The public may visit the MERS pages of the CHP and its Travel Health Service, MERS statistics in affected areas, the CHP's Facebook Page and YouTube Channel, and the World Health Organization's latest news for more information and health advice. Tour leaders and tour guides operating overseas tours are advised to refer to the CHP's health advice on MERS. 

     In response to media enquiries, a Government spokesman said today (April 4) that the Working Family Allowance Office (WFAO) of the Working Family and Student Financial Assistance Agency (WFSFAA) has received 2.6 million applications under the Caring and Sharing Scheme and issued 1.5 million acknowledgements as of April 3. The WFAO will issue the remaining acknowledgements as soon as possible. Its target is to issue acknowledgements to applications received in February and March by the end of April, and to all those received within the application deadline of the scheme (i.e. April 30) no later than the third week of May.

     "Applicants who receive no acknowledgement by the end of May should make enquiries with the WFSFAA on or before June 30 by calling the hotline at 3897 1088 or emailing careandshare@wfsfaa.gov.hk," the spokesman said. 

     "Should the WFAO confirm that their applications have not been received, they will be allowed to re-submit. Before then, applicants do not need to submit applications again," the spokesman added.

     The WFAO will start approving and disbursing payments from April 9, and aims to finish handling all cases by year end. 

     "Payments will be disbursed via autopay to successful applicants' local bank accounts under their sole names. The WFAO will send cash cheques (namely uncrossed order cheques) to successful applicants with no local bank accounts under their sole names by a special delivery service through Hongkong Post," the spokesman said. "The letters and the first three digits of the payee's Hong Kong identity card number will be printed on the cash cheque to facilitate checking of the identity of the payee by the bank when the cheque is encashed."

     Successful applicants who fail to receive the mail upon delivery may bring along the WFAO notification card left by the delivery staff to collect the mail at a designated post office within a specified period of 14 working days. They may, when necessary, visit Hongkong Post's website or dial the hotline set out in the notification card to change the post office for collection, but they are still required to collect the mail within the original specified period of 14 working days.

     In case the applicant has not collected the cheque after the specified period, the WFAO will contact the applicant by phone to make arrangements for the cheque to be collected at a post office selected by the applicant, or at the WFAO's Caring and Sharing Scheme Office on 16/F, Pioneer Centre, 750 Nathan Road, Kowloon.

     If the applicant has no correspondence address, the WFAO will contact the applicant according to the information provided in the application form to arrange collection of the cheque at a post office selected by the applicant, or at the WFAO's Caring and Sharing Scheme Office. If an applicant cannot receive payment because of his or her physical or mental condition, his or her legal guardian, appointee or agent (i.e. a relative) may receive the payment for the benefit of him or her. The WFAO will arrange payment to be disbursed according to the information provided by the applicant or his or her legal guardian, appointee or agent.

     Police will implement special traffic arrangements on April 5 and 6 to facilitate two public order events to be held on Hong Kong Island.

(1)

     Westbound Queensway will be intermittently closed from 1.45pm on April 5 until the crowd has dispersed and traffic resumes normal.

(2)
     
     The following roads will be intermittently closed from 11.45am on April 6 until the crowd has dispersed and traffic resumes normal:

– Southbound Ventris Road;
– Northbound Blue Pool Road;
– Sing Woo Road;
– Westbound Wong Nai Chung Road;
– Westbound Mui Hing Street;
– Northbound Chun Shing Street;
– Eastbound Kwai Fong Street;
– Westbound Village Road;
– Northbound Shan Kwong Road;
– Eastbound Yuk Sau Street;
– Tsap Tseung Street;
– Westbound King Kwong Street;
– Eastbound Yik Yam Street; and
– Eastbound Tsoi Tak Street.

     Vehicles may not be permitted to access or leave car parks along the routes during the road closure period.

     Actual implementation of the traffic arrangements will be made depending on traffic and crowd conditions in the areas. Motorists are advised to exercise tolerance and patience and take heed of instructions of the Police on site.