The Anti-epidemic Support Scheme for Property Management Sector (ASPM) under the Anti-epidemic Fund is open for applications and continues to disburse subsidies.

    As of today (June 27), around 11 500 applications have been received for the ASPM, of which around 10 300 applications have been approved.  The approved applications involve subsidies of over $340 million and benefit around 38 000 building blocks and around 87 000 front-line property management workers.

    The Government has launched the ASPM under the Anti-epidemic Fund to subsidise owners' organisations or property management companies of eligible residential, composite (i.e. commercial cum residential), industrial and commercial buildings (including shopping malls) to provide the Anti-epidemic Hardship Allowance to the front-line property management workers.  The ASPM will also provide the Anti-epidemic Cleansing Subsidy to owners' organisations or property management companies.  The Government enhanced the ASPM on May 30, 2020.  In particular, the subsidised period has been extended for three more months to August 2020, and the cap on headcounts for the Anti-epidemic Hardship Allowance to be received by the front-line property management workers has been relaxed to 100 per eligible building block.

    The application deadline for the ASPM is July 15.  Eligible owners' organisations and property management companies are reminded to submit their applications to the Property Management Services Authority (PMSA) as soon as practicable.  If owners' organisations and property management companies have submitted applications for the ASPM before the enhancement, they do not need to submit a new application.  The PMSA will contact the owners' organisations and property management companies concerned direct.  For details on the ASPM, please contact the PMSA at 3696 1156 or 3696 1166, or visit the website of the PMSA (aspm.pmsahk.org.hk/?lang=en).

     The Social Welfare Department (SWD) has been informed by The Hong Kong Council of the Church of Christ in China that the territory-wide flag-selling activity in public places scheduled to be held today (June 27) has been cancelled, a spokesman for the SWD said.
 
     Updated details of the charitable fund-raising activities covered by the Public Subscription Permit issued by the SWD have also been uploaded to the GovHK website (www.gov.hk/fundraising).
 
     For enquiries, please contact Mr Kwok of the organisation at 2855 3815.

     The Government announced today (June 26) that as the COVID-19 outbreak in Hong Kong started to stablise, the use of Chun Yeung Estate in Fo Tan as quarantine centre will be ceased in end July. After clearing and thoroughly disinfecting the relevant units, the Estate will be immediately handed over to the Hong Kong Housing Authority.
           
     The Housing Authority will then carry out detailed inspection to the condition of the Estate, and conduct relevant restoration works and acceptance testing as soon as possible.  As there are altogether some 4 800 units in the five blocks of the Estate, it takes time for the Housing Authority to complete all the restoration works and acceptance testing for the whole estate.  While the restoration works required for individual block or unit varies, the Housing Authority will make the best endeavour to complete the relevant work as soon as possible and notify prospective tenants of the latest arrangements in early July, with a view to facilitating their preparation work including arrangement of school placement for children in the coming school year.  At present, it is estimated that prospective tenants of the Estate will move in by two batches, striving for intake of the first batch prospective tenants commencing in late August, whereas intake of prospective tenants of units in the blocks requiring more extensive restoration works starting from end October this year.
    
     A Government spokesman said the COVID-19 outbreak in Hong Kong had been easing gradually with the number of confirmed cases maintaining at low level, and among people who needed to be housed in quarantine centres over the past month or so, most of them were Hong Kong Residents returning from places with higher infection risk. In addition, the Government has been constructing quarantine facilities at the government site in Penny’s Bay with good progress, targeting to provide some 700 additional units by end July.  By then, after discounting the quarantine units provided by the Estate, there will be around 1 500 quarantine units in total (with around 3 000 beds) in Hong Kong, which is estimated to be able to cope with any need arising from future outbreak.
 
     The Government deeply understands that the use of the Estate as quarantine centre in the past few months has caused much impact and inconvenience to prospective tenants, and that they have been looking forward to moving in the Estate as soon as possible.  The quarantine centre located in the Estate provided thousands of units, playing a very important role among quarantine facilities over the past few months and effectively preventing the widespread transmission of virus in the community.  The Government would like to express heartfelt gratitude to all prospective tenants for their patience and understanding, which has greatly facilitated the anti-epidemic work in Hong Kong.
 
     The Government has been using the Estate as quarantine centre since  February 20. So far, over 7 700 people have been quarantined at the Estate.  Apart from close contacts of confirmed patients, confinees at the Estate also include returnees from the Diamond Princess cruise ship, Hubei Province, as well as people returning from various overseas places in recent days.

     The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government today (June 26) expressed strong opposition to the passage of the "Hong Kong Autonomy Act" ("The Act") by the Senate of the United States (US) Congress. 
 
    A government spokesman said, "we urge the US Congress to immediately stop interfering in HKSAR's internal matters. The Act and the so-called "sanctions" are totally unacceptable and will only harm the relations and common interests between Hong Kong and the US.
 
     "It must be clear that the Constitution of the People's Republic of China (PRC) and the Basic Law of the HKSAR of the PRC (the Basic Law) form the constitutional basis of the HKSAR.  According to Article 1 of the Basic Law, the HKSAR is an inalienable part of the PRC. Article 12 of the Basic Law stipulates that the HKSAR shall be a local administrative region of the PRC, which shall enjoy a high degree of autonomy and come directly under the Central People's Government (CPG). The implementation of the 'one country, two systems' principle in the HKSAR is entirely the internal affairs of the PRC. No other state or legislature has the right to intervene, directly or indirectly, in those internal affairs.
 
     "Since the return to the Motherland, the HKSAR has been exercising 'Hong Kong people administering Hong Kong' and a high degree of autonomy in strict accordance with the Basic Law. The 'one country, two systems' principle has been fully and successfully implemented.  The HKSAR Government will continue to implement the 'one country, two systems' principle resolutely in accordance with the Basic Law. 
   
     Many of the Congress' comments on HKSAR affairs in the Act are seriously misleading and absolutely unfounded.
 
     Regarding prosecution of persons engaged in illegal protests, the government spokesman reiterated that "Hong Kong has a well-established and fair criminal judicial system. Article 63 of the Basic Law provides that the 'Department of Justice of the HKSAR shall control criminal prosecutions, free from any interference'.  The prosecutors have always been discharging this constitutional duty independently and professionally, without fear or favour. Prosecutorial decisions are based on an objective assessment of admissible and reliable evidence and applicable laws, made strictly in accordance with the Prosecution Code which is available to the public. Cases will not be handled any differently owing to the political beliefs, demands or backgrounds of the persons involved.
 
     "The people of Hong Kong enjoy extensive rights and freedoms which are enshrined in the Basic Law.  Article 4 of the Basic Law provides that the HKSAR shall safeguard the rights and freedoms of the residents of the HKSAR and of other persons in the Region in accordance with law.  In addition, human rights and freedoms in Hong Kong are fully protected by the Hong Kong Bill of Rights Ordinance and other legislation, and underpinned by an independent judiciary.
 
     "As for the roles of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council and Liaison Office of the CPG in HKSAR, they represent the CPG to which the HKSAR comes directly under pertaining to Article 12 of the Basic Law.  These offices have the power and responsibility over the proper and full implementation of the Basic Law and 'one country, two systems'.  There is no question of their intervention in the affairs that the HKSAR administers on its own in accordance with the Basic Law.
 
     "Any 'sanctions' imposed under the Act will not create an obligation for financial institutions under Hong Kong law.  We however urge the US side to act responsibly by refraining from taking measures that may potentially affect the normal operations of financial institutions and the vast number of customers they serve."

     The spokesman reiterated that foreign legislatures should not interfere in any form in the internal affairs of the HKSAR. 

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     In response to media enquiries regarding a Legionella infection case, the spokesperson for Tuen Mun Hospital (TMH) has the following reply today (26 Jun):
 
     A 77-year-old male patient who had stayed in a surgical ward of TMH confirmed to have the Legionnaires' Disease. The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) visited the ward and collected water samples from the hospital today. The source of infection for the patient is still undergoing investigation. The patient is in critical condition. Medical surveillance will be performed to the patients who have been staying in the involved ward during the period of time.
           
     The hospital has already implemented a series of precautionary and infection control improvement measures, including:
 
1. Installing bacterial filters on basin faucets and shower heads;
2. Suspending use of related basin faucets;
3. After communicating with the CHP, the hospital has implemented clinical surveillance of the patients in the ward.
 
     The case has been reported to the Hospital Authority Head Office according to established guidelines. In addition to the above precautionary and improvement measures, the hospital has reminded all medical and nursing staff to be vigilant and continue to closely monitor the situation on the ward. The hospital will co-operate with the CHP in the investigation of the source of infection.