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 Cultural Services Department announced today (August 12) that Ping Shan Tin Shui Wai Swimming Pool in Yuen Long District has been temporarily closed for cleaning and superchlorination following the discovery of a small amount of faeces in the pool.

     It will be reopened at 6.30am tomorrow.

     The department appeals to swimmers to be considerate and to keep the swimming pools clean. They are advised not to swim after a full meal and should use the toilet facilities if necessary before swimming. 

     A task force led by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) held its third meeting today (August 12) to discuss the causes of a serious incident occurring at the Hong Kong Coliseum (HKC).

     The task force arranged earlier a cherry picker for experts to inspect closely at a higher position the installations suspended at the top of the stage. Besides, as the stage was dismantled, the task force had arranged the inspection and examination of all the hoisted installations which had been lowered down. 

     In the meeting, the task force, after deliberate study of the information gathered at this moment, found that the snapping of wire rope was caused by metal fatigue according to laboratory examination result. However, further investigations are needed to find out the causes of metal fatigue. In addition, the hanging system of panels and its workmanship may also be the causes for the falling down of the LED panels leading to the serious incident at the HKC. The task force will conduct further investigations in this direction.

     Meanwhile, the LCSD will hand over the arena tomorrow as scheduled to the next hirer for holding concerts. The hirer has also agreed to comply and make necessary arrangements to fulfil the three short-term measures announced earlier to ensure the safety of performers, staff members and audiences. The measures are (1) Revisit and enhance safety of their stage design and their brought-in mechanical devices and to ensure the safety of all working staff, performers and persons attending the venue; (2) Cease the use of suspended mechanical devices involving swinging, rotation or carrying of persons; and (3) Conduct daily inspection of the mechanical devices mentioned in item (1) by a competent person whom LCSD agrees to assure safe working.

     As the 2022 Administrative Service Summer Internship Programme is drawing to a close, the Secretary for the Civil Service, Mrs Ingrid Yeung, today (August 12) met with participating university students, encouraging them to apply for civil service posts such as the Administrative Officer (AO) post upon graduation to serve society and contribute to the country.

     The Civil Service Bureau (CSB) received around 230 applications for the programme this year, and among them selected 59 students studying in local, Mainland and overseas tertiary institutions as interns. They were assigned to 24 bureaux and departments to handle duties comparable to those of an AO.
 
     During the gathering, Mrs Yeung listened to interns talk about their experiences in the internship, and encouraged them to strive to equip themselves and better plan for the future, making reference to her experience serving in different positions. Mrs Yeung said, "Young people are the future and pillars of Hong Kong. This internship programme, as part of the CSB's training opportunities for young people, allows participants to gain first-hand understanding of the Government's operation and the work of an AO. Through working with serving AOs, interns are able to learn more about the roles and missions of AOs and obtain real work experience.
 
     "The Government will continue to select and draw widely into government service, on the basis of both integrity and competence, outstanding individuals who are firm in their love for both the country and Hong Kong, have a broad perspective and are eager to serve the public. I very much welcome all students who are dedicated to serving society and earnestly addressing people's concerns and difficulties in daily life to join the Administrative Service upon graduation so as to join efforts in faithfully implementing 'one country, two systems' and building a better Hong Kong."

     AOs are professional public administrators who play a pivotal role in the civil service system. They are responsible for the formulation and implementation of policies and resource allocation, as well as duties such as the promotion of Hong Kong's interests in the Mainland and overseas. They are posted to different bureaux and departments at regular intervals with the opportunities to undertake different areas of public policy work, accumulate experience and broaden horizons. The Government will launch a new round of the AO Recruitment Exercise in September 2022 and the details will be separately announced in September.

        

     The Government has implemented streamlined procedures of arrival quarantine and testing at the airport starting from today (August 12). Alongside the requirement for inbound persons from overseas places or Taiwan to complete the online health declaration to the Department of Health before boarding, as at noon today, 95 per cent of persons arriving at Hong Kong were able to complete the procedures of testing, quarantine and immigration clearance within 50 minutes. According to the on-site observation by the Airport Authority Hong Kong, the majority of persons arriving at Hong Kong were able to board the point-to-point transportation and depart from the airport for designated quarantine hotels (DQHs) within one to two hours after disembarking from the planes.
 
     Under the new arrangement, persons arriving at Hong Kong from today onwards are required to register for testing right after disembarkation with their health declaration QR code generated upon completion of health declaration. They can then immediately have their specimen collected for the nucleic acid test and rapid antigen test (RAT) on the arrivals level of Terminal 1. This is far more efficient and convenient than the previous arrangement, which required inbound persons to undergo testing at the Temporary Specimen Collection Centre located at the Midfield Concourse of the airport.
 
     For inbound persons who had their relevant submitted information (including their DQH booking information) confirmed by the online health declaration system, they will be issued a green health declaration QR code. Once they have completed registration for testing upon arrival at Hong Kong, the system will issue quarantine orders, medical surveillance notices, vaccination records and Provisional Vaccine Pass QR codes electronically. After having their specimens collected for testing, these persons holding a green health declaration QR code can then proceed direct with the immigration clearance procedures and claim their baggage. If the health declaration information of inbound persons has not been confirmed (such as if the system was unable to confirm the DQH booking information), the persons concerned will be issued a pink health declaration QR code. They are required to go to the Midfield Concourse of the airport for further confirmation of relevant documents upon completion of specimen collection, before they can proceed with immigration clearance procedures.
 
     As observed on-site this morning, the vast majority of inbound persons held a green health declaration QR code, while only about 10-odd per cent of the inbound persons were holding a pink health declaration QR code. Persons with a green health declaration QR code were able to experience a smooth flow in proceeding with immigration procedures right after specimen collection. They could then leave the Baggage Reclaim Hall after claiming their baggage and on confirmation of their negative RAT results, and board the point-to-point transportation to DQHs where they will wait for the nucleic acid test result and undergo quarantine. The median time required for the entire process, from registration for testing to completion of immigration clearance, baggage claiming and reaching the arrival hall, was about 30 minutes, and 95 per cent of inbound persons went through the entire process in less than 50 minutes. This represented a great reduction in time needed as compared to the earlier arrangement, which required all inbound persons to go to the Midfield Concourse. Most of the inbound persons holding a green health declaration QR code were able to board the point-to-point transportation and depart from the airport for DQHs within one to two hours upon disembarkation. In other words, the arrangement of "express channels" for inbound persons holding a green health declaration QR code has greatly shortened their time spent on arrival procedures.
 
     A Government spokesman said, "The streamlined procedures of arrival quarantine and testing have considerably reduced the time that inbound persons have to stay at the airport, enabling them to go to the hotel for a good rest as early as possible after their tiring flight. They have also minimised the chance of cross-infection among inbound persons at the airport, allowing the Government to precisely contain the risk of virus spread while facilitating activities and people flow essential to socio-economic recovery.
 
     "The Government will follow established practice to adjust the anti-epidemic measures as appropriate according to the epidemic developments and analysis of scientific data, with a view to guarding against the importation of cases. We will also continue to make the best application of technology in enhancing procedures so as to assist inbound persons and create favourable conditions for Hong Kong to resume normal connections with different parts of the world."
 
     For details of the streamlined quarantine and testing arrangements, please refer to the press release issued earlier.

    

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     As at 0.00am today (August 12), a total of 1 565 patients who tested positive for COVID-19 are currently hospitalised for treatment, including 230 new patients. Among the patients staying in isolation facilities, 429 patients are in isolation wards, 75 patients are in second-tier isolation wards and 468 patients are in the North Lantau Hospital Hong Kong Infection Control Centre, of which 183 in total are new patients. There are seven newly reported critical patients and three newly reported serious patients. There are a total of 26 patients in critical condition and 21 are in serious condition, of which nine critical patients are receiving intensive care. Moreover, there are 202 patients who have recovered, including 166 patients who have been discharged. In addition, four patients who passed away in public hospitals were reported.
 
     In the fifth wave of the epidemic, there are 57 851 patients who have recovered so far, including 57 572 patients who have been discharged. And since early 2020, there are 70 231 patients who have recovered, including 69 952 patients who have been discharged.
 
     The Hospital Authority will maintain close contact with the Centre for Health Protection to monitor the latest developments and to inform the public and healthcare workers on the latest information in a timely manner.