Author Archives: hksar gov

     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health is today (April 9) closely monitoring 18 additional cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) by Saudi Arabia from February 1 to 29. The CHP again urged the public to pay special attention to safety during travel, taking due consideration of the health risks in the places they visit.

     According to the WHO, the 18 additional cases involve 16 male and two female patients aged 28 to 81, with 17 of them having underlying illnesses. Among them, four had exposure to camels and consumed camel milk, and five have passed away.

     According to the latest information, 2 538 cases have been reported to the WHO (with 871 deaths), including 2 319 in 10 Middle East countries comprising 2 139 in Saudi Arabia, 91 in the United Arab Emirates, 28 in Jordan, 24 in Oman, 23 in Qatar, six in Iran, four in Kuwait, two in Lebanon, and one each in Yemen and Bahrain.

     “We will maintain close communication with the WHO and relevant health authorities,” a spokesman for the CHP said.

     “As countries in the Middle East, particularly Saudi Arabia, continue to report MERS cases from time to time, travellers should refrain from going to farms, barns or markets with camels and avoid contact with sick persons and animals, especially camels, birds or poultry. Most of the cases reported in the Middle East had a history of exposure to camels, consumption of camel milk or contact with other MERS patients,” the spokesman said.

    “Scientific evidence shows that camels are reservoirs for MERS Coronavirus (MERS-CoV). Camels infected with MERS-CoV may not show any signs of infection. Infected animals may shed MERS-CoV through nasal and eye discharge and faeces, and potentially in their milk and urine. The virus may also be found in the raw organs and meat of infected animals. Therefore, the best protection is to practise good hygiene and avoid direct contact with all of these,” the spokesman added.
 
     From time to time, suspected MERS cases reported to the CHP for investigation involve patients with a history of contact with camels in the Middle East. The CHP strongly advises 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-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 page of the CHP and its Travel Health Service to learn more about MERS statistics in affected areas. The public should also refer to the CHP’s Facebook page and YouTube channel and the WHO’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. read more

     Hongkong Post today (April 9) announced the need to suspend Speedpost services to the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States of America (USA) starting from April 14 owing to the substantial reduction in flight frequencies by airlines, which has resulted in a nearly complete inability to provide any air traffic capacity to cope with the volume of Speedpost items conveyed to the UK and the USA. Hongkong Post had previously made an announcement about the service suspension of air mail to the UK and the USA on March 27. Members of the public may consider using surface mail for posting items to the UK and the USA as the frequencies of the shipping schedules to the two destinations have been increased to once per week.  It is estimated that the journey time for posting through surface mail to the UK and the USA would take about 25 days and 31 days respectively.
 

Destinations		Service types available	Estimated journey time for surface mail
Europe	UK	Surface mail	25 days
North America	USA	Surface mail	31 days

 
     In addition, destinations in Europe listed below are also suffering from insufficient air traffic capacity as a result of continued flight reductions. Hongkong Post will try to maintain the Speedpost service to these destinations as far as possible to facilitate the posting of urgent mail by the public. Notwithstanding this, Speedpost items handed to airlines for conveyance to these destinations are still subject to delays of more than one week despite the completion of handling procedures by Hongkong Post subsequent to posting.
 

Destinations		Service types available
Europe	France	Speedpost
	Italy	Speedpost and surface mail
	Netherlands	Speedpost and surface mail

 
     Moreover, mail items to be sent to the following destinations are required to transit via the above destinations, therefore services for them will also be affected to varying degrees:
 

Destinations		Service types available
Africa	Réunion	Speedpost and surface mail
	Algeria	Speedpost
	Côte d’Ivoire	Speedpost
	Senegal	–
Central and South America	El Salvador	Speedpost and air parcel
	Guatemala	Speedpost and air parcel
	Puerto Rico	Surface mail
	Virgin Islands (USA)	Surface mail
Europe	San Marino	Speedpost
	Vatican	–

 
     Members of the public may visit the Hongkong Post website and refer to the links: www.hongkongpost.hk/en/about_us/whats_new/notices/index_id_909.html, www.hongkongpost.hk/en/about_us/whats_new/notices/index_id_910.html
and www.hongkongpost.hk/en/preparation/posting/latest_dates/index.html for all the destinations affected and the latest dates of posting for forthcoming surface despatches. read more

     The effective exchange rate index for the Hong Kong dollar on Thursday, April 9, 2020 is 108.6 (down 0.1 against yesterday’s index). read more

     The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (April 9) that a prepackaged cut fruit sample (including honeydew melon and netting melon) was found to contain a pathogen, Salmonella… read more

     The Government received a total of 2,138 requests for information under the Code on Access to Information in the third quarter of 2019, a spokesman for the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau said today (April 9).
 
     The total number of requests received since the introduction of the Code in March 1995 and up to the end of September 2019 amounted to 75,887. Of these, 4,406 requests were subsequently withdrawn by the requestors and 3,743 requests covered cases in which the bureaux/departments concerned did not hold the requested information or cannot confirm or deny the existence of information. As at September 30, 2019, 345 requests were still being processed by bureaux/departments.

     Among the 67,393 requests which covered information held by bureaux/departments and which the bureaux/departments had responded to, 65,273 requests (96.9 per cent) were met, either in full (63,602 requests) or in part (1,671 requests), and 2,120 requests (3.1 per cent) were refused.

     Any member of the public who is dissatisfied with the response of a bureau/department under the Code may request that the matter be reviewed. He or she may also lodge a complaint with the Ombudsman.

     In the third quarter of 2019, the Ombudsman received 21 complaints relating to requests for information. In this quarter, the Ombudsman concluded 27 complaints, among which four were partially substantiated, three were unsubstantiated, 15 were settled after inquiries by the Ombudsman, and five were not pursued by the Ombudsman or were outside the Ombudsman’s jurisdiction. As at September 30, 2019, the Ombudsman’s investigations on 22 complaints were ongoing.

     “The Code has provided an effective framework for the public to seek access to information held by the Government,” the spokesman said. read more