The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     Regarding an earlier announcement on Candida auris carrier cases, the spokesperson for Yan Chai Hospital (YCH) gave the following update today (July 10):
      
      According to the contact tracing, five more patients (aged 54 to 90) who had stayed in the same male medical ward were confirmed to carry Candida auris without signs of infection. One of them was old age home (OAH) resident and had been discharged. The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) and the Community Nursing Services (CNS) were informed for the concerned case follow-up. Another four patients are now treated under isolation with stable condition. In accordance with prevailing guidelines, YCH has commenced contact tracing for patients who might have had close contact with the index patients. The following enhanced infection control measures have already been adopted:
 

1. Thorough cleansing and disinfection of the wards concerned
2. Enhance patient and environmental screening procedures
3. Apply stringent contact precautions and enhance hand hygiene of staff and patients

      
     The hospital will continue to closely monitor the situation of the patients. The case has been reported to the Hospital Authority Head Office and the Centre for Health Protection for necessary follow-up.

     Hong Kong Customs yesterday (July 9) seized about 2.1 kilograms of suspected cocaine with an estimated market value of about $2.1 million at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA).

     Customs officers inspected an air cargo consignment arriving in Hong Kong from Brazil at HKIA yesterday. A total of 14 pieces of compartment cardboard were found inside a batch of paper boxes containing food products. The batch of suspected cocaine was found concealed inside the inner layers of the cardboard.   

     After follow-up investigation, Customs officers arrested a 35-year-old man suspected to be in connection with the case at an industrial building in Hung Hom on the same day.

     The arrested man has been charged with one count of trafficking in a dangerous drug. He will appear at Kowloon City Magistrates' Courts tomorrow (July 11).

     Customs will maintain close contact with Hongkong Post and the logistics industries to step up action against drug trafficking through postal parcel and express courier channels.

     Under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, trafficking in a dangerous drug is a serious offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $5 million and life imprisonment.

     Members of the public may report any suspected drug trafficking activities to Customs' 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk).

  

     â€‹Hongkong Post today (July 10) announced that postal services to the destinations listed below will resume from tomorrow (July 11) as airlines are gradually scaling up their air traffic capacity and some postal administrations have resumed the acceptance of overseas mail. Notwithstanding this, postal operations of these destinations are still under the influence of the pandemic, and delays in mail delivery are expected.
     

 
     Members of the public may visit the web page at www.hongkongpost.hk/en/about_us/whats_new/notices/index_id_943.html to refer to the service types currently available for overseas destinations.

     The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region has accepted the advice of the Disaster Relief Fund Advisory Committee and approved from the Disaster Relief Fund three grants totalling $12.114 million to three agencies for providing relief to cyclone victims in West Bengal, India.

     Announcing the grants today (July 10), a spokesman for the Government said that the cyclone had affected more than 13 million people in West Bengal, India. The three grants – one of $6.4 million to Oxfam Hong Kong, one of $1.897 million to Adventist Development and Relief Agency China (Hong Kong) and one of $3.817 million to Plan International Hong Kong, will be used to provide hygiene kits, kitchen kits, water kits and food kits as well as household items and shelter materials to benefit around 85 550 victims. As the targeted localities of the three relief agencies are different, there will be no overlapping of resources. The Committee hoped the grants would facilitate the provision of timely relief to the victims and help them restore their normal living.  

     "To ensure that the money is used for the designated purposes, the relief agencies will be asked to submit evaluation reports and audited accounts on the use of the grants after the relief projects have been completed," the spokesman said.

     The Home Affairs Bureau (HAB) today (July 10) made the following statement on the use of District Council (DC) members' ward offices as polling stations for primaries.
           
     The HAB noted that an organisation plans to hold pro-democracy primaries for the 2020 Legislative Council General Election on July 11 and July 12, and some ward offices of the DC members will be used as polling stations.
           
     The HAB reiterated that according to section 7(a) of Specific Standards of the Code of Conduct for Members of a District Council or Its Committees (Code of Conduct): a DC member shall not use the various allowances for a member and/or his or her ward office(s) for purposes other than those connected with the business of the DC. 
           
     The HAB reminded DC members again that paragraph 23 of the Guidelines on the Remuneration Package for Members of the District Councils of the HKSAR stipulates that a DC member must ensure that the ward office operated with the support of the Operating Expenses Reimbursement and other accountable allowances/expenses reimbursements for DC members is used for the discharge of DC duties. The spokesman stressed that should the ward office be used for discharging duties not related to the DC, e.g. using the ward office as a polling station of the abovementioned event, the related expenses will not be reimbursed. 

     Furthermore, some ward offices are located in the premises of the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA). According to the HA, the tenancy agreements for leasing ward offices signed between the members and HA stipulate that "not to carry on or permit or suffer to be carried on in or upon the said premises or any part thereof any trade profession or business whatsoever other than that of a Councillor's office". If a tenant violates the terms in the tenancy agreement (e.g. using the ward office for purposes not related to the business of the Council), the HA would consider taking appropriate follow-up actions in the light of the actual situation.