The Lands Department announced today (July 29) that the tender for a site, Tai Po Town Lot No. 243 at Ma Wo Road, Tai Po, New Territories, has been awarded to the highest tenderer, Wealth Honour Limited (parent companies: Vanke Property (Hong Kong) Company Limited and CNQC International Holdings Limited), on a 50-year land grant at a premium of $3,705,018,700.

     The tenderers, other than the successful tenderer, in alphabetical order, with the name of the parent company where provided by the tenderer in brackets, were:

(1) All Rich Limited (Centralcon Properties Company Limited);
(2) Boundless Investments Limited (K&K Property Holdings Limited);
(3) Centre Way Development Limited (China Overseas Land & Investment Limited);
(4) Ever Cheer Investment Limited (Kowloon Development Company Limited);
(5) Fair Opal Limited (Sun Hung Kai Properties Limited);
(6) Great Rainbow Investments Limited (CK Asset Holdings Limited);
(7) Honest Profit Development Limited (Henderson Land Development Company Limited);
(8) Kayson Limited (New World Development Company Limited, Chime Corporation Limited, Empire Development Hong Kong (BVI) Limited and Kerry Properties Limited);
(9) Mega Source Global Limited (Far East Consortium International Limited);
(10) Rise Source Limited (Kingboard Property Development (HK) Company Limited);
(11) Strong Associate Limited (K. Wah International Holdings Limited, Sino Land Company Limited and China Merchants Land Limited); and
(12) Sunrise Treasure Limited (Great Eagle Holdings Limited).

     Tai Po Town Lot No. 243 has a site area of about 22,608 square metres and is designated for private residential purposes. The minimum gross floor area and the maximum gross floor area are 43,584 sq m and 72,640 sq m respectively.

     The Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) announced today (July 29) that, in view of the latest situation of COVID-19, all LCSD performance venues will continue to be temporarily closed and will not be opened before the end of August in order to maintain social distancing and prevent the spread of the virus in the community. All LCSD performing arts programmes and film screenings originally scheduled in August will be suspended.
      
     URBTIX outlets and ticket dispensing machines at LCSD performance venues will continue to be closed. URBTIX will maintain Internet and mobile app ticketing and hotline services. 
      
     Ticket holders of cancelled events are advised to contact the respective event organisers or check their latest announcements on refund arrangements. For events that organisers choose to arrange refunds at URBTIX outlets, details will be announced in due course.
      
     Meanwhile, the New Vision Arts Festival 2020 (NVAF) scheduled to be held from October to November this year has been cancelled. The NVAF showcases innovative interdisciplinary collaborations and new and cutting-edge commissions from artists around the world to offer audiences high-quality performing arts programmes. This year, 17 productions from overseas, the Mainland and Hong Kong had been invited to perform, but due to the pandemic and numerous uncertainties regarding global business travel, the LCSD and the participating arts groups reached a consensus on cancelling the festival.
      
     The LCSD launched the Online Resources Centre (ORC) (www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/onlineresources.html) in April, enabling the public staying home to enjoy various cultural performances, museums' exhibits, animals and plants, online libraries, as well as home exercises demonstrated by sports stars during the fight against COVID-19. To support  local artists and arts groups, the LCSD is joining hands with many of them to realise their creative works on the WeWeWebWeb Carnival platform with a view to offering children and parents a wealth of exciting and stimulating online cultural programmes during the pandemic. For details, please visit the ORC and www.hkiac.gov.hk.
      
     As well, to continue the mission of the NVAF to facilitate artistic creation and international cultural exchanges, a new platform called "(Re)New Vision" will be created to showcase newly commissioned online and on-site works by renowned local and overseas artists from October to November. Details will be announced later on the ORC, the website www.newvisionfestival.gov.hk, Facebook and Instagram.
      
     The LCSD will continue to monitor the situation closely and review the arrangements in a timely manner.

     A woman and a company were fined $1,500 and $4,000 respectively at the Kowloon City Magistrates' Courts today (July 29) for contravening the Clubs (Safety of Premises) Ordinance.

     The courts heard that in January this year, officers from the Office of the Licensing Authority (OLA) of the Home Affairs Department conducted an inspection at a club on Kimberley Road in Tsim Sha Tsui, which had been operating with a certificate of compliance (CoC). 
      
     OLA officers posed as customers and patronised the club for food and drinks without being asked to show their membership status or being invited to join the club as members. Condition 12 of the CoC was breached. The woman, being the manager of the club and the company, being the CoC holder of the club, were charged with contravening section 21(1)(a) and section 21(2) of the Ordinance respectively.

     A spokesman for the department reminded all CoC holders to comply with the conditions as stipulated therein. Enforcement action will continue to be taken against illegal club operation.

     Three men and a woman were fined from $2,000 to $8,000 at the Kowloon City Magistrates' Courts and the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts today (July 29) for contravening the Hotel and Guesthouse Accommodation Ordinance.

     The courts heard that between September last year and January this year, officers of the Office of the Licensing Authority (OLA), the Home Affairs Department, inspected four suspected unlicensed guesthouses on Man Cheong Street in Yau Ma Tei, Apliu Street in Sham Shui Po, Kwok Shui Road in Tsuen Wan and Portland Street in Mong Kok. During the inspections, the OLA officers posed as lodgers and successfully rented a room in these guesthouses on a daily or hourly basis.

     According to the OLA's records, these guesthouses did not possess licences under the Ordinance on the days of inspection. The men and woman responsible for managing the premises were charged with contravening section 5(1) of the Ordinance.

     A department spokesman stressed that operating or managing an unlicensed guesthouse is a criminal offence and can lead to a criminal record. Upon conviction, the offender is liable to a maximum fine of $200,000 and two years' imprisonment.

     The spokesman appealed to anyone with information about suspected unlicensed guesthouses to report it to the OLA through the hotline (tel: 2881 7498), by email (hadlaenq@had.gov.hk), by fax (2504 5805) using the report form downloaded from the OLA website (www.hadla.gov.hk), or through the mobile application "Hong Kong Licensed Hotels and Guesthouses".

     The Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) today (July 29) said that a manager working at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre has preliminarily tested positive for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

     The manager works at the Cultural Presentations Section, 3/F, Administration Building, Hong Kong Cultural Centre, Tsim Sha Tsui. She was not required to have contact with the public at work. She last performed her duties on July 22. She felt unwell earlier and sought medical advice. She was notified yesterday (July 28) that she had preliminarily tested positive for COVID-19.

     The manager has no recent travel history. She has been wearing surgical masks when performing her duties. Her body temperature was normal when undergoing temperature screening during work.

     She was admitted to hospital and has been treated under isolation. She is now in stable condition.

     The LCSD will arrange thorough cleaning and sterilisation at the office concerned and all related public facilities according to guidelines provided by the Centre for Health Protection (CHP).

     The LCSD is highly concerned about the COVID-19 epidemic and will continue to maintain close liaison with the CHP. Staff are reminded to pay attention to personal hygiene and to stay vigilant. They should seek medical advice immediately if feeling unwell.