The Home Affairs Department will open 19 temporary night heat shelters tonight (August 25) for people in need of the service.

     The shelters will be open from 10.30pm until 8am tomorrow.

     For further information, please call the department's hotline before midnight on 2572 8427.

     The 19 night heat shelters are located at:

Hong Kong Districts:
———————

Central and Western –
Sai Ying Pun Community Complex Community Hall
3/F, Sai Ying Pun Community Complex,
2 High Street, Sai Ying Pun

Eastern –
Causeway Bay Community Centre
3/F, 7 Fook Yum Road, Causeway Bay

Southern –
Lei Tung Community Hall
Lei Tung Estate, Ap Lei Chau

Wan Chai –
Wan Chai Activities Centre
LG/F, Wan Chai Market, 258 Queen's Road East, Wan Chai

Kowloon Districts:
——————

Kowloon City –
Hung Hom Community Hall
1/F, Kowloon City Government Offices,
42 Bailey Street, Hung Hom

Kwun Tong –
Lam Tin (West) Estate Community Centre
71 Kai Tin Road, Lam Tin

Sham Shui Po –
Shek Kip Mei Community Hall
G/F, Block 42, Shek Kip Mei Estate, Sham Shui Po

Wong Tai Sin –
Tsz Wan Shan (South) Estate Community Centre
45 Wan Wah Street, Tsz Wan Shan

Yau Tsim Mong –
Henry G Leong Yaumatei Community Centre
60 Public Square Street, Yau Ma Tei

New Territories Districts:
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Islands –
Tung Chung Community Hall
G/F, Tung Chung Municipal Services Building,
39 Man Tung Road, Tung Chung

Kwai Tsing –
Kwai Shing Community Hall
Podium, Block 6, Kwai Shing West Estate, Kwai Chung

North –
Cheung Wah Community Hall
Cheung Wah Estate, Fanling

Sai Kung –
Hang Hau Community Hall
G/F, Sai Kung Tseung Kwan O Government Complex,
38 Pui Shing Road, Hang Hau, Tseung Kwan O

Sha Tin –
Hin Keng Neighbourhood Community Centre
5 Hin Wo Lane, Sha Tin

Tai Po –
Tai Po Community Centre
2 Heung Sze Wui Street, Tai Po

Tsuen Wan –
Shek Wai Kok Community Hall
Shek Wai Kok Estate, Tsuen Wan

Tuen Mun –
Butterfly Bay Community Centre
Butterfly Estate (near Tip Sum House), Tuen Mun

Yuen Long –
Long Ping Community Hall
Long Ping Estate, Yuen Long

Yuen Long –
Tin Yiu Community Centre
Tin Yiu Estate, Tin Shui Wai

     The Government today (August 25) announced the appointment of a new member of the Advisory Committee on Admission of Quality Migrants and Professionals with immediate effect until June 30, 2022.

     The Committee advises the Director of Immigration on applications received under the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme and the Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals.

     The Committee is chaired by Mr Chow Chung-kong and comprises 20 non-official members. The non-official membership is (in alphabetical order of family names) as follows:

Mr Chow Chung-kong (Chairperson)
Dr Daniel Chan Ching-yan
Ms Rainy Chan Nor-ka
Ms Michelle Cheng
Professor Cheng Shuk-han
Mr Human Cheung
Mr He Yi-ming
Mr Andy Hei Kao-chiang
Ms Samantha Ho Shuk-yee*
Dr Gabriel Hung Bing-kei
Mr Albert Lee
Ms Sylvia Lee Hiu-wah
Mr Anthony Leung Ming-tim
Mr Jerome Leung Ty
Dr Liu Yuk-shing
Ms Anthea Lo Wing-sze
Ms Prudence Mak Ngar-tuen
Mrs Lillian Okusako Chan Pui-shan
Ms So Ching
Ms Ellen Tsang Fung-chu
Mr Woo King-hang
 
* Newly appointed
 
     Ex-officio members on the Committee are representatives from the Labour and Welfare Bureau, the Security Bureau and the Labour Department.

     "We are grateful to the Committee for the service over the past two years and have benefited from their wise counsel. We look forward to the valuable advice from Chairperson, Mr Chow Chung-kong, re-appointed members as well as the new member," a Government spokesman said.

     The effective exchange rate index for the Hong Kong dollar on Tuesday, August 25, 2020 is 105.5 (down 0.1 against yesterday's index).

     Following is the transcript of remarks by the Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam at a media session before the Executive Council meeting today (August 25):
 
Reporter: A few English questions. First, regarding the city-wide testing, why does the Government consider the risk associated with gathering for this city-wide test to be something manageable but think holding a LegCo election at around the same time would be too risky and decided to delay the polls? Second question, some doctors and some well-known people in the society have expressed this reluctance to join this city-wide testing, basically saying that, the test is going to only last for several days and people may get infected again, it’s not really useful. So you dismiss these criticisms as purely a smear tactic for the Central Government. Can you explain why that is the case and not concerned with other factors? Third question regarding the SJ’s (Secretary for Justice) interventions into two private prosecutions, what do you have to say to critics who said that this is a political decision aiming to protect the Police and government supporters, and without giving the courts a chance to make a judgement over these cases? Would that harm the public confidence in Hong Kong’s legal system and the fact that justice can be served under this system? Thank you.
 
Chief Executive: Three questions. First of all, the purpose of launching the Universal Community Testing is to identify as early as possible any silent transmitters in society so that we will feel safer to consider the next stage of social distancing measures with a view that Hong Kong’s economy and people’s livelihood could resume normal as soon as possible, and testing has always been a useful instrument locally and globally. I’m sure you can find many pictures and reports about different places doing extensive testing as a means to combat this pandemic. I don’t think I need to go further to explain the objectives of the testing.
 
     Your question seems to focus on the differences or the situation comparing this Universal Community Testing with the carrying out of a LegCo election. I think there are a lot of differences between the two arrangements. As far as the Universal Community Testing is concerned, we are not cramming it into a single day. We have allowed ourselves up to two weeks to invite members of the community to come forward for the testing. Secondly, we are going to do an online booking system, preferably we will not be seeing crowds or long queues in front of the swabbing stations to have the test done. I really think it’s inappropriate or just unreasonable to try to compare the LegCo election to the Universal Community Testing.
      
     The second point is why do some people, especially as you describe “well-known people” and well-known people in the professional fields, have expressed reluctance to join the Programme or even to sort of ask people not to come forward. I just don’t know why. The testing is globally accepted as a good means to identify early the confirmed cases so that they could be isolated for treatment. And this testing capacity is not taking away from the testing capacity for the other higher priority areas. One is the clinical testing and medical surveillance testing undertaken by the Hospital Authority and the Department of Health. Secondly is the target group testing conducted by various departments. The laboratory capacity for these two other more important areas of testing requirements has been preserved. I am not diverting that capacity to this, or lest people will say that you should go back to the more high-priority areas. They are entirely different capacities. The reason why Hong Kong at this moment has a capacity to undertake such a large-scale Universal Community Testing is because of the assistance rendered by the Central People’s Government. They are sending us this sort of makeshift laboratories, they are sending us technicians to work in these laboratories to handle a large volume of specimens that need to be tested during that very short period. As far as the effectiveness or the efficacy of the testing, this is not something new, we all know by now that the COVID-19 test is only valid for a few days or up to two weeks, maybe. This is a fact. It’s not something innovative in our situation. But having a test is still useful as I have demonstrated with the figures on the number of confirmed cases that we managed to discover through various testing programmes.
      
     Since you mentioned well-known people, I may as well make a remark. Well-known people in society carry a responsibility because they are well known, just like the Chief Executive. I carry a very heavy responsibility in whatever I said because people will, I hope, still attach weight to what the Chief Executive is saying because I’m in possession of more information, I will have more experts around me and colleagues analysing the situation for me. I would make a strong plea that well-known people, especially in the relevant professional areas, should really express their views in a more responsible way. Since this is about public health, let’s focus on public health.
      
     I cannot really go into detail about your third question because prosecution matters or any legal matters under the Department of Justice are the purview of the Secretary for Justice. But to sort of allege that the Secretary for Justice is doing political intervention is totally unfair and inappropriate because by so doing you are also casting doubt and disrespect on Hong Kong’s judiciary system.
     
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)
 

     A sick 57-year-old male person in custody at Stanley Prison died in a public hospital today (August 25).

     The person in custody suffered from renal failure, pulmonary hypertension and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. He required continuous medical care and follow-up at the institution hospital and a public hospital. He was sent to a public hospital for treatment due to physical discomfort yesterday (August 24). During hospitalisation, his condition deteriorated and he was certified dead at 4.44am today.

     The case has been reported to the Police. A death inquest will be held by the Coroner's Court.

     The person in custody was sentenced to imprisonment for the offence of manufacturing of dangerous drug in January 2013.