Hongkong Post today (July 2) announced that postal services to the destinations listed below will resume from tomorrow (July 3) as airlines are gradually scaling up their air traffic capacity and some postal administration… read more
Three persons were sentenced to immediate imprisonment of up to 14 days by the Tuen Mun Magistrates’ Courts today (July 2) for violating the Compulsory Quarantine of Certain Persons Arriving at Hong Kong Regulation (Cap. 599C).
The first case involved a man aged 47. He was earlier issued a compulsory quarantine order stating that he must conduct quarantine at home for 14 days. Before the expiry of the quarantine order, he left the place of quarantine without reasonable excuse nor permission given by an authorised officer and was stopped by staff of the Immigration Department at the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Control Point on March 1. He was charged with contravening sections 8(1) and 8(5) of the Regulation. He was sentenced by the Tuen Mun Magistrates’ Courts today to imprisonment for 14 days.
The second and third cases involved a man aged 27 and a woman aged 32, who were earlier issued compulsory quarantine orders stating that they must conduct quarantine at home and at a hotel respectively for 14 days. Without reasonable excuse nor permission given by an authorised officer, they attempted to leave Hong Kong and were stopped by staff of the Immigration Department at Shenzhen Bay Control Point on May 29 and June 3 respectively. The 27-year-old man and 32-year-old woman were charged with contravening sections 8(4) and 8(5) of the Regulation. They were sentenced by the Tuen Mun Magistrates’ Courts today to imprisonment for six days and four days respectively.
Pursuant to the Regulation, save for exempted persons, all persons who have stayed in the Mainland, Macao or Taiwan in the 14 days preceding arrival in Hong Kong, regardless of their nationality or travel documents, will be subject to compulsory quarantine for 14 days. Moreover, pursuant to the Compulsory Quarantine of Persons Arriving at Hong Kong from Foreign Places Regulation (Cap. 599E), starting from March 19, all persons arriving from countries or territories outside China would also be subject to compulsory quarantine for 14 days. Breaching a quarantine order is a criminal offence and offenders are subject to a maximum fine of $25,000 and imprisonment for six months. The Department of Health (DH) solemnly reminds persons under quarantine to comply with the statutory requirements and conduct quarantine for 14 days.
A spokesman for the DH said the sentence sends a clear message to the community that breaching the Regulation is a criminal offence and that the Government will not tolerate such actions. As of today, a total of 26 persons have been convicted by the courts with imprisonment sentences of up to three months or a fine of $10,000. The spokesman reiterated that resolute actions will be taken against anyone who has breached the Regulation. read more
As required by Article 13(2) of the Law of the People’s Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (the National Security Law), the State Council, on the nomination of the Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, approved the appointment of the Director of the Chief Executive’s Office, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, as the Secretary General of the Committee for Safeguarding National Security of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) today (July 2). Mr Chan took the oath of office in the afternoon today.
Commenting on the appointment of Mr Chan, Mrs Lam said, “As the Director of the Chief Executive’s Office, Mr Chan has had distinguished performance in leading the office. I have no doubt that he is capable of taking up the post of the Secretary General of the Committee for Safeguarding National Security of the HKSAR, in addition to his existing post, to lead the Secretariat to support the Committee to fulfil its crucial responsibility to safeguard national security.”
It is stipulated in the National Security Law that a Committee for Safeguarding National Security of the HKSAR chaired by the Chief Executive will be established to take up national security affairs and bear the major responsibility for safeguarding national security. It will be under the supervision of and be accountable to the Central People’s Government. Members of the Committee will include the Chief Secretary for Administration, the Financial Secretary, the Secretary for Justice, the Secretary for Security, the Commissioner of Police, the head of the department for safeguarding national security of the Hong Kong Police Force established under Article 16 of the National Security Law, the Director of Immigration, the Commissioner of Customs and Excise and the Director of the Chief Executive’s Office. The Secretariat under the Committee is to be headed by the Secretary General.
The purposes of the National Security Law are to prevent, suppress and punish crimes, namely secession, subversion of state power, organisation and perpetration of terrorist activities, and collusion with foreign or external forces to endanger national security; maintain the prosperity and stability of the HKSAR; and protect the lawful rights and interests of HKSAR residents. The National Security Law was applied by promulgation in the HKSAR on June 30.
As pointed out by the Chief Executive at the press conference on the National Security Law yesterday (July 1), the HKSAR Government will spare no effort in enforcing the law to achieve the legislative objectives, and, in doing so, better the “One Country, Two Systems” institutional system for the long-term prosperity and stability of Hong Kong.
Police today (July 2) appealed to the public for information on a man who went missing in Sham Shui Po. Lam Kam-kong, aged 74, went missing after he left an elderly home on the elderly home… read more
In response to rumours circulating online today (July 2) that Hong Kong residents will have to obtain the Government’s approval for outbound travel to any places outside China, a Government spokesman refuted such claims and reminded members of the public not to be misled by fake news.
The Government spokesman condemned the reckless spread of such rumours on the Internet. read more