Author Archives: hksar gov

     In response to the Japanese Government’s plan to discharge nuclear-contaminated water at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Station, the Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene issued a Food Safety Order which prohibits all aquatic products, sea salt and seaweeds originating from the 10 metropolis/prefectures, namely Tokyo, Fukushima, Ibaraki, Miyagi, Chiba, Gunma, Tochigi, Niigata, Nagano and Saitama, from being imported into and supplied in Hong Kong.
 
     For other Japanese aquatic products, sea salt and seaweeds that are not prohibited from being imported into Hong Kong, the Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department will conduct comprehensive radiological tests to verify that the radiation levels of these products do not exceed the guideline levels before they are allowed to be supplied in the market.
 
     As the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water is unprecedented and will continue for 30 years or more, the Government will closely monitor and step up the testing arrangements. Should anomalies be detected, the Government does not preclude further tightening the scope of the import ban.
 
     From noon on February 6 to noon today (February 7), the CFS conducted tests on the radiological levels of 288 food samples imported from Japan, which were of the “aquatic and related products, seaweeds and sea salt” category. No sample was found to have exceeded the safety limit. Details can be found on the CFS’s thematic website titled “Control Measures on Foods Imported from Japan” (www.cfs.gov.hk/english/programme/programme_rafs/programme_rafs_fc_01_30_Nuclear_Event_and_Food_Safety.html).

     In parallel, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) has also tested 52 samples of local catch for radiological levels. All the samples passed the tests. Details can be found on the AFCD’s website (www.afcd.gov.hk/english/fisheries/Radiological_testing/Radiological_Test.html).
 
     The Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) has also enhanced the environmental monitoring of the local waters. No anomaly has been detected so far. For details, please refer to the HKO’s website
(www.hko.gov.hk/en/radiation/monitoring/seawater.html).
 
     From August 24, 2023, to noon today, the CFS and the AFCD have conducted tests on the radiological levels of 114 103 samples of food imported from Japan (including 74 675 samples of aquatic and related products, seaweeds and sea salt) and 26 474 samples of local catch respectively. All the samples passed the tests. read more

The following is issued on behalf of the Major Sports Events Committee:
 
     The Major Sports Events Committee (MSEC) has awarded “M” Mark status to the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon 2025 (February 9) and the Longines Hong Kong International Horse Show (February 14 to 16).
      
     The Chairman of the MSEC, Mr Wilfred Ng, said today (February 7), “The Hong Kong Marathon is the largest annual long-distance running event in Hong Kong. It has been well-received by the public over the years, attracting up to 74 000 participants this year, including internationally renowned elite runners. As for the Longines Hong Kong International Horse Show, it is a 5-star international jumping competition sanctioned by the Federation Equestrian Internationale. It will be held in Hong Kong for the first time and will feature a world-class horse show, entertainment and a performance. The above two major sports events will stimulate the local economy and enhance Hong Kong’s international image, thereby strengthening Hong Kong’s status as an events capital.”
      
     The “M” Mark System aims to encourage and help local “national sports associations” and private or non-government organisations to organise more major international sports events and nurture them into sustainable undertakings. Sports events meeting the assessment criteria will be considered for “M” Mark status by the MSEC. Funding support will also be provided to some events.
      
     For details of “M” Mark events, please visit www.mevents.org.hk. read more

     The Government published in the Gazette today (February 7) the Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Ordinance 2023 (Commencement) Notice (Commencement Notice). The new “no case to answer” appeal mechanism under the Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Ordinance 2023 (Amendment Ordinance) will come into operation on April 14, 2025.
 
     The Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Bill 2023 was passed by the Legislative Council (LegCo) on July 12, 2023. Sections 4, 7 and 9 of, and Part 2 of the Schedule to, the Amendment Ordinance provide for a “no case to answer” appeal mechanism, which allows the prosecution to appeal against rulings of no case to answer made by the Court of First Instance of the High Court in criminal trials with a jury. The new appeal mechanism has since awaited enactment of the Criminal Procedure (Appeal against Ruling of No Case to Answer) Rules (Rules) before it commences. 
 
     The Rules, which set out the relevant procedural matters for the new appeal mechanism to facilitate its smooth operation in practice, were made by the Criminal Procedure Rules Committee under section 9 of the Criminal Procedure Ordinance (Cap. 221) on November 14, 2024. The Rules were approved by the LegCo on January 8, 2025. 
 
     With a view to bringing the new appeal mechanism into operation as soon as practicable, the Secretary for Justice, under section 1(3) of the Amendment Ordinance, has appointed April 14, 2025, as the day on which the relevant provisions come into operation. The Rules will come into operation on the same day.
 
     A spokesman for the Department of Justice said, “The new ‘no case to answer’ appeal mechanism addresses the lacuna in the criminal appeal system due to the prosecution’s inability to appeal against erroneous rulings of no case to answer made by judges of the Court of First Instance in jury trials and prevents possible miscarriage of justice.”
 
     The Commencement Notice will be tabled at the LegCo on February 12 for negative vetting. read more

     The Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD) today (February 7) announced that the department tested 56 water samples collected from cooling towers in 38 buildings during its routine inspections in January 2025… read more

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     The Hospital Authority (HA) announced today (February 7) that in view of the sustained high level of daily first attendance instances at accident and emergency (A&E) departments in public hospitals, the service demand surge special measures will continue until further notice. During this period, the HA will continue to closely monitor the situation and flexibly arrange hospital beds, manpower and resources to meet the heightened demand while ensuring emergency services remain unaffected.

     In response to the cold weather and increased service demand at public hospitals during multiple long holidays including Christmas and Chinese New Year, the HA activated service demand surge special measures on December 21, 2024, to cope with rising demand for hospital services especially A&E departments and inpatient services. The special measures include enhanced manpower, bed capacity, and laboratory testing services for influenza and other viruses; hospital command centres co-ordinating discharge procedures and supporting arrangements for admission, discharges and transfers to ensure patients receive timely and appropriate treatment and enable beds to be available for new admissions; and special refund arrangements at A&E departments to provide stable patients with the flexibility to choose alternative medical institutions.

     The HA spokesperson said, “Apart from cold weather, there have been reports of influenza and other infectious disease outbreaks at several popular travel destinations recently, and schools have resumed after holidays. Hong Kong’s influenza and other respiratory virus activities are expected to remain active. Since entering the winter influenza season, public hospitals have seen attendance figures notably higher than the baseline, with A&E department attendance reaching around 5 500 and medical ward admissions around 1 100. We urge patients with mild conditions to consider seeking treatment at general outpatient clinics, private doctors or 24-hour outpatient services at private hospitals to reduce pressure on public hospital A&E departments.”

     The HA reminds members of the public to exercise extra caution when travelling during holidays, pay attention to their physical condition at all times, and wear masks in crowded places for enhanced protection. People should also keep warm and stay vigilant regarding personal and environmental hygiene to prevent disease transmission. Those with respiratory infection symptoms should wear masks and seek medical advice promptly. Members of the public can visit the Health Bureau’s Primary Care Directory (www.pcdirectory.gov.hk) to view relevant information on healthcare institutions.

     The HA also appeals to members of the public to get vaccinated early for seasonal influenza and COVID-19, especially high-risk groups, to reduce the chance of infection for themselves and their family members, as well as to reduce critical cases and deaths. For the latest information on vaccination programmes, members of the public may visit the Centre for Health Protection COVID-19 Vaccination Programme website (www.chp.gov.hk/en/features/106934.html) and the Vaccination Schemes website (www.chp.gov.hk/en/features/17980.html). read more