To align with the special work arrangement announced by the Government, the Legal Aid Department (LAD) today (February 14) announced that the LAD offices will open from 9.30am to 1pm and 2pm to 4pm between February 17 and 21 to provide basic necessary and limited civil and criminal legal aid application and litigation services.
 
     The following LAD offices will provide limited public services:
     •Information and Application Services Unit (located on 25/F, Queensway Government Offices (QGO)),
     •Crime Section (located on 25/F, QGO),
     •Civil Litigation Section 1 (located on 26/F, QGO),
     •Civil Litigation Section 2 (located on 30/F, Revenue Tower, Wan Chai), and
     •Costing Unit and Enforcement Unit (both located on 27/F, QGO).
 
     For enquiries, please contact the following offices during the above office hours:
     •Information and Application Services Unit: 2537 7717 (for civil legal aid services)
     •Crime Section: 2867 3139
     •Civil Litigation Section 1: 2867 3123
     •Civil Litigation Section 2: 2594 7884
     •Costing Unit and Enforcement Unit: 2867 3152
   
     Members of the public may also contact the LAD for other enquiries through its 24-hour hotline (2537 7677), email (ladinfo@lad.gov.hk) or fax (2537 5948).

     The Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) has further enhanced its regional weather information service on its website by providing real-time information on air temperatures from the Tai Lung Automatic Weather Station (AWS) starting from today (February 14).

     The HKO's Tai Lung AWS, located inside the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department's Tai Lung Experimental Station in Sheung Shui, provides real-time weather information to farmers and those promoting a rural green lifestyle, helping them to plan agricultural work more efficiently. The additional temperature information it provides also serves as a reference for the public around the Sheung Shui area.

     The public can access the most recent 24-hour temperatures recorded at the Tai Lung AWS at the HKO's "Hong Kong Regional Temperature" webpage (www.weather.gov.hk/en/wxinfo/ts/index.htm). Temperature information from the Tai Lung AWS is also available through the HKO's "Dial-a-Weather" hotline at 187 8200 and the mobile application "MyObservatory".

  

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     During the winter surge, the Hospital Authority is closely monitoring the service demand of Accident and Emergency Departments and the occupancy rates in public hospitals. Key service statistics are being issued daily for public information. Details are in the appended table.

     In view of the extension of the special work arrangements for government departments to February 23, the Inland Revenue Department announced today (February 14) that from February 17 it will continue to suspend the provision of all of its services, except the following:

(1) Business Registration Office;
(2) Stamp Office; and
(3) Central Enquiry Counter, only for enquiries relating to tax clearance for taxpayers leaving Hong Kong.

     The above three offices will provide services from 9am to noon, Monday to Friday.
    
     The department appeals to members of the public for their understanding that the above services will only be provided at a much reduced scale and that services in all other areas will not be provided at the service counters. They should also be prepared to experience a longer waiting time before they can be served. The department encourages the public to use its electronic services to handle their tax affairs as much as possible. A list of such services can be found in the department's website at www.ird.gov.hk/eng/ese/index.htm.

     The department further announced that deadlines for tax payments, lodgement of objections and holdover applications, and submission of tax returns and information that fall between January 29 and February 23 will be automatically extended to February 24.

     The department will review the situation and make further announcements as necessary.

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     Regarding the arson incident causing damages to a general outpatient clinic, the Hospital Authority (HA) issued the following statement today (February 14):
    
     An arson has caused damages to the Mrs Wu York Yu General Out-patient Clinic in Wo Yi Hop Road, Tsuen Wan this morning.  The malicious arson happened in the same clinic last Saturday (February 8). The HA spokesperson seriously condemned the repeated malicious behaviours damaging the general outpatient clinic, which would affect the safety of healthcare staff and patients.
           
     The spokesperson said that damaging medical facilities would affect the operations and compromise patient safety.
           
     The HA urged to stop the act of vandalism and had referred the incident to the police, apart from stepping up the security of the clinic.