The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:
 
     The spokesperson for Kowloon West Cluster made the following announcement today (August 28) on two clusters of Candida auris carrier cases:     
 
     According to contact tracing results of the cluster of Candida auris carrier cases in Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) announced earlier, one more 71-year-old female patient who had stayed in a Medicine and Geriatrics ward has been confirmed as a Candida auris carrier while not having signs of infection. The patient is now under isolation in PMH in serious condition due to her underlying illness.

     Furthermore, a 101-year-old female patient was admitted to a female medical ward of Yan Chai Hospital (YCH) on August 20 and underwent admission screening. Her screening result was positive for Candida auris, but she did not have any signs of infection. The patient passed away on August 22 due to her underlying illnesses.

     Since she had been admitted to different medical wards of the hospital in August, YCH conducted contact tracing for the patient according to the prevailing guidelines. It was confirmed that two more female patients who stayed in another female medical ward were carrying Candida auris without signs of infection. One of them was an old age home resident, aged 93, who had been discharged. The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) and the Community Nursing Services were informed of the case concerned for follow-up action. The other patient, aged 71, passed away yesterday (August 27) due to her underlying illnesses.
      
     In accordance with the prevailing guidelines, the hospitals have continued contact tracing in the wards concerned. The following enhanced infection control measures have already been adopted:
 
 1. Thorough cleaning and disinfection of the wards concerned;
 2. Enhanced patient and environmental screening procedures; and
 3. Application of stringent contact precautions and enhanced hand hygiene for staff and patients.
 
     The hospitals will continue to closely monitor the situation of the patients. The cases have been reported to the Hospital Authority Head Office and the CHP for necessary follow-up.

     In light of the announcement by the Government on gradual resumption of public services in a safe and orderly manner, the Immigration Department (ImmD) has reopened its offices at the Immigration Headquarters, Immigration Branch Offices, Smart Identity Card Replacement Centres, Registration of Persons Offices, and Births, Deaths and Marriage Registries from August 24 to provide basic and limited public services to members of the public. The ImmD announced today (August 28) that more public services will resume with effect from August 31 as follows:
 

     
     â€‹To prevent crowds from gathering, the ImmD appeals to applicants to submit applications through its homepage or its mobile application, by post or by drop-in. As the ImmD only provides basic and limited services, applicants who are required to visit its offices for applications should expect a longer waiting time, they are also advised to make an appointment for the service. In accordance with the latest regulations implemented by the Government, persons entering the premises of the ImmD are required to wear masks.

     The above-mentioned offices will provide services during normal opening hours. For detailed opening hours of individual offices, please refer to the ImmD's homepage or mobile application. The hotline of the Assistance to Hong Kong Residents Unit on (852) 1868 will continue to operate as normal to provide practicable assistance for Hong Kong residents in distress outside Hong Kong. Meanwhile, other ImmD public services not mentioned above will remain suspended.
         
     In addition, according to the existing arrangements by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, except for the Hong Kong International Airport, Shenzhen Bay and Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Control Points, passenger immigration clearance services in other immigration control points will remain suspended until further notice. Moreover, the operating hours of the passenger clearance services at the Shenzhen Bay and Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Control Points have been adjusted as follows with effect from April 3 and 5 respectively until further notice. In addition, the Heung Yuen Wai Boundary Control Point has been commissioned on August 26, with cargo clearance facilities opened first for use by cross-boundary goods vehicles. The details are as follows:

Shenzhen Bay Control Point:

• Operating hours of all passenger clearance services have been adjusted to 10am to 8pm daily while the operating hours for cargo clearance will remain unchanged (i.e. from 6.30am to midnight daily).

Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Control Point:

• Operating hours of the Passenger Clearance Building (i.e. for passengers crossing the boundary on cross-boundary coaches and shuttle buses) have been adjusted to 10am to 8pm daily; and

• Operating hours of clearance for private cars have been adjusted to 6am to 10pm daily while cargo clearance will remain in operation 24 hours daily.

Heung Yuen Wai Boundary Control Point:

• Operating hours for cargo clearance will be 7am to 10pm daily.

     Any changes to the above arrangements will be announced in due course. For enquiries, please contact the ImmD by calling the enquiry hotline on 2824 6111 from 8.45am to 5.15pm, Monday to Friday, or by email to enquiry@immd.gov.hk.

The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:

(Approved for Issue by the Exchange Fund Advisory Committee on July 30)

Report on Currency Board Operations (April 17 – July 2, 2020)
—————————————————————–

     The Sub-Committee noted that the Hong Kong dollar (HKD) exchange rate traded close to the strong-side Convertibility Undertaking (CU), moving within a range of 7.7500 – 7.7571 against the US dollar (USD), during the review period. The strong-side CU was triggered 21 times between April 21 and June 24, with accumulated inflows of HK$57.6 billion. This was underpinned by equity-related demand, including initial public offering activities, southbound Stock Connect, and dividend payments. With the Aggregate Balance expanding to HK$131.61 billion, HKD interbank interest rates generally softened. Overall, the HKD exchange and interbank markets continued to trade in a smooth and orderly manner.

     The Sub-Committee noted that the Monetary Base increased to HK$1,748.31 billion at the end of the review period. In accordance with the Currency Board principles, all changes in the Monetary Base had been fully matched by changes in foreign reserves.

     The Report on Currency Board Operations for the period under review is at Annex.

Monitoring of Risks and Vulnerabilities
———————————–

     The Sub-Committee noted that global equity markets had recouped most of their first-quarter losses, supported by increased optimism of a rebound in economic activities and extensive fiscal and monetary stimulus globally. Nevertheless, questions over fiscal and monetary policy leeway would likely persist, while side-effects arising from the unprecedented stimulus on inflation, financial stability and fiscal sustainability remained to be seen. Global economic outlook was also clouded by risks of new waves of COVID-19 and geopolitical developments.

     The Sub-Committee noted that concerted liquidity and credit easing measures by global central banks had helped stabilise global funding markets. However, the surge in global corporate bond issuance had deepened concerns over debt service capability amid declining business revenues.

     The Sub-Committee noted that in Hong Kong, economic activities remained weak in the second quarter and the unemployment rate would likely rise further. The HKMA had taken a three-pronged approach to bolster the banking sector in supporting the real economy. Meanwhile, housing transactions picked up in May and June alongside more new project sales and improved market sentiments.

A Conceptual Framework for Understanding Cross-Border Fund Flows
—————————————————————–

     The Sub-Committee noted a study that laid out a conceptual framework for understanding cross-border fund flows. 

     The third Joint Conference on Advancing Hong Kong's Full Participation in and Contribution to the Belt and Road Initiative (B&RI) was held virtually today (August 28). It was participated by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and relevant Mainland ministries.
 
     The meeting reviewed the work of Hong Kong in taking forward the B&RI after the second Joint Conference and discussed new initiatives for the coming year in areas such as innovation and technology (I&T), professional services and capacity building, including collaborating in the fight against the COVID-19 epidemic and thereby fostering people-to-people bonds, as well as promoting further collaboration between Mainland enterprises and Hong Kong professionals.
 
     The Vice Chairman of the NDRC, Mr Ning Jizhe, attended the conference with officials led by him including the Deputy Secretary General of the NDRC, Mr Su Wei, who was also the Convenor of the Joint Conference, and senior representatives from the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of Transport, the People's Bank of China, the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council, the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the National Health Commission, and the State Administration for Market Regulation.
 
     HKSAR Government officials attending the conference were led by the Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, and included the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development and Hong Kong-side Convenor of the Joint Conference, Mr Edward Yau, and representatives from the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau, the Department of Justice, the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau, the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau, the Innovation and Technology Bureau, the Development Bureau, the Belt and Road Office of the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau, and Invest Hong Kong. Other attendees included the Chairman of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), Dr Peter Lam, and representatives of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority and the Insurance Authority.
 
     Mr Chan said that Hong Kong has experienced challenges on various fronts in the past year and, in particular, the COVID-19 epidemic has dealt an unprecedented severe blow to the global economy, leading to a deep global economic recession and volatile financial markets. Hong Kong is inevitably affected, but its financial system has continued to function well and has demonstrated a high degree of resilience, he said.
 
     He added that Hong Kong will leverage its position as an international financial centre to contribute to the strategic development of the country. Hong Kong will continue to make the best use of its strengths as an offshore Renminbi (RMB) centre to further enhance RMB liquidity and to support and drive the use of RMB by businesses and investors in the financing of infrastructure projects and other related activities in the Belt and Road region. Hong Kong will also pursue the securitisation of infrastructure loans in order to facilitate private capital flow into mature and well-functioning infrastructure projects with stable cash flow.
 
     He said that the implementation of the National Security Law has not only quickly restored the social stability of Hong Kong, but also propelled the forward development of Hong Kong under "one country, two systems". It has also laid a solid foundation for Hong Kong's economic and financial development. Hong Kong will continue to leverage its advantage of "one country, two systems", enhance its core competitiveness and foster closer co-operation with various ministries to better serve the country in its reform and opening up, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area development and the B&RI.
 
     Mr Chan also expressed heartfelt gratitude for the Central Government's full support in Hong Kong's anti-epidemic work and the provision of manpower and resources in helping Hong Kong to fight against the epidemic, including in the building of a "mobile cabin hospital" and a temporary hospital for patients, as well as the conducting of large-scale COVID-19 universal community testing. These measures could help Hong Kong to control the epidemic as soon as possible.
 
     At the meeting, Mr Yau said that Hong Kong, despite facing the uncertainties caused by the epidemic and the downswing of the international trade and economic environment, has been participating in and contributing to the B&RI actively, including forging trade and economic partnerships and collaboration.
 
     Noting that I&T and local research and development (R&D) outcomes have helped Hong Kong to meet livelihood needs during the epidemic, he said that Hong Kong is prepared to share related experiences with Belt and Road countries and regions. An I&T Inventions Experience Sharing and Business Promotion Platform has been put in place. With active engagement through government-to-government collaboration and in conjunction with the local I&T sector and the HKTDC, it is set to enhance both people-to-people bonds and business matching, he said.
 
     Mr Yau also expressed gratitude to the Central Government for its care and concern for Hong Kong and its timely and targeted assistance on testing and healthcare infrastructure, which will help Hong Kong to swiftly triumph in the fight against the epidemic.
 
     In addition, the HKSAR Government will continue to take earnest efforts to promote partnership between professional service providers in Hong Kong and Mainland enterprises with regard to Belt and Road projects. Such efforts include the launching of a Mainland Enterprises Partnership Networking and Exchange Programme, in which exchanges and networking sessions will be set up for Mainland businesses and Hong Kong professionals for forging collaboration.
 
     At the meeting, both sides also had exchanges on working together to study the promotion and participation of the Hong Kong testing and certification sector in related work, including undertaking China Compulsory Certification-related procedures and giving consideration to trying out pilot relaxation measures at overseas Economic and Trade Co-operation Zones (ETCZs) set up by the Mainland in Belt and Road countries, thereby bringing Hong Kong's soft power into continuous play.
 
     The HKSAR Government also reported on the progress made in other areas of work in advancing Hong Kong's participation in and contribution to the B&RI, including the strengthening of Hong Kong's economic and trade relations with other economies through forging more Free Trade Agreements and Investment Agreements with its trading partners, the organisation of a series of sharing and business matching activities, promoting Hong Kong businesses to explore development in the ETCZs, facilitating green and sustainable Belt and Road financial development, and promoting online dispute resolution services and Belt and Road-related legal co-operation. As a facilitator and a promoter for the B&RI, the HKSAR Government will continue related work in the future, including the organisation of the fifth Belt and Road Summit in end November and planning for the second edition delegation of the Belt and Road Joint Conference Policy Exchanges and Capacity Building Programme within a year, continuing with the Green Bond Grant Scheme, and promoting the Legal Hub project and its measures to enhance Hong Kong's status as a leading centre for international legal and dispute resolution services.
 
     The "Arrangement between the NDRC and the HKSAR Government for Advancing Hong Kong's Full Participation in and Contribution to the Belt and Road Initiative", signed between the HKSAR Government and the NDRC in December 2017, serves as the principle and blueprint for Hong Kong's full participation in and contribution to the B&RI. The Joint Conference mechanism has been set up to follow up on the implementation of the Arrangement and meetings are convened at least once a year. This year's meeting was held virtually.

     The Lands Department (LandsD) announced today (August 28) that a site, Tung Chung Town Lot No. 45 at Area 57, Tung Chung, New Territories, in the 2020-21 Land Sale Programme will be disposed of by public tender. The tender invitation for the lot will commence on September 4 and close on October 16.
       
     Tung Chung Town Lot No. 45 has a site area of about 12,335 square metres and is designated for non-industrial (excluding residential, hotel, godown and petrol filling station) purposes. The minimum gross floor area and the maximum gross floor area are 70,310 sq m and 117,182 sq m respectively.
 
     Land sale documents including the Form of Tender, the Tender Notice, the Conditions of Sale and the sale plan of the lot will be available for downloading from the LandsD website (www.landsd.gov.hk), and the sale plan will be available for distribution and inspection by the public from September 4, when the particulars of the tender will also be gazetted.