The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority: 

     The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) wishes to alert members of the public to a press release issued by Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited on fraudulent website and phishing email, which has been reported to the HKMA. Hyperlink to the press release is available on the HKMA website for ease of reference by members of the public.
 
     Anyone who has provided his or her personal information to the website concerned or has conducted any financial transactions through the website should contact the bank concerned using the contact information provided in the press release, and report to the Police or contact the Cyber Security and Technology Crime Bureau of the Hong Kong Police Force at 2860 5012.

     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health today (August 22) reported a suspected case of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), and again urged the public to pay special attention to safety during travel, taking due consideration of the health risks in the places they visit. The case is detailed below:
 

     "Travellers to the Middle East should avoid going to farms, barns or markets with camels; avoid contact with sick persons and animals, especially camels, birds or poultry; and avoid unnecessary visits to healthcare facilities. We strongly advise travel agents organising tours to the Middle East to abstain from arranging camel rides and activities involving direct contact with camels, which are known risk factors for acquiring MERS Coronavirus (MERS-CoV)," a spokesman for the CHP said.
 
     "As the Hajj pilgrimage will begin soon, pilgrims visiting Mecca in Saudi Arabia should be vigilant against MERS. Those with pre-existing medical conditions, such as diabetes, chronic lung disease, chronic renal disease and immunodeficiency, are more likely to develop severe infections if they are exposed to MERS-CoV. Pilgrims should hence consult healthcare providers before travel to review the risk and assess whether a pilgrimage is advisable. Pilgrims visiting Mecca may refer to the DH's advice. If pilgrims feel unwell during the two weeks after returning to Hong Kong, they should wear a surgical mask and seek medical attention immediately and inform a doctor of their recent travel history," the spokesman added.

     Locally, the CHP's surveillance with public and private hospitals, with practising doctors and at boundary control points is firmly in place. Inbound travellers and members of the public who recently visited the Middle East and developed fever or lower respiratory symptoms within 14 days will be classified as suspected MERS cases. They will be taken to public hospitals for isolation and management until their specimens test negative for MERS-CoV.
 
    Travellers to affected areas should maintain vigilance, adopt appropriate health precautions and take heed of personal, food and environmental hygiene. The public may visit the MERS pages of the CHP and its Travel Health Service, MERS statistics in affected areas, the CHP's Facebook Page and YouTube Channel, and the World Health Organization's latest news for more information and health advice. Tour leaders and tour guides operating overseas tours are advised to refer to the CHP's health advice on MERS. 

     â€‹The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (August 22) that a sample of swordfish sashimi was found to contain a metal contaminant, mercury, at a level exceeding the legal limit. The CFS is following up on the case.
      
     A spokesman for the CFS said, "The CFS collected the above-mentioned sample from a restaurant in Kwai Chung for testing under its routine Food Surveillance Programme. The test result showed that it contained mercury at a level of 1.12 parts per million (ppm), exceeding the legal limit of 0.5 ppm."
      
     The spokesman said that the CFS has informed the restaurant concerned of the irregularity and requested it to stop sale of the affected batch of the product. The Centre is tracing the source of the product concerned.
      
     "Mercury may affect the nervous system, particularly the developing brain. At high levels, mercury can affect foetal brain development, and affect vision, hearing, muscle co-ordination and memory in adults. Furthermore, as some international organisations such as the World Health Organization have pointed out, consuming predatory fish species is the main source of mercury intake for human beings. The report of the CFS' Total Diet Study has also pointed out that large fish or predatory fish species may contain high mercury levels (for example, tuna, alfonsino, shark, swordfish, marlin, orange roughy and king mackerel). Hence, groups particularly susceptible to the adverse effects of mercury, such as pregnant women, women planning pregnancy and young children, should opt for fish that are smaller in size for consumption and avoid consumption of the above-mentioned types of fish which may contain high mercury levels to minimise the health risk posed to the foetus, infants and young children by excessive exposure to metal contaminants in food," the spokesman added.
      
     According to the Food Adulteration (Metallic Contamination) Regulations (Cap 132V), any person who sells food with metallic contamination above the legal limit may be prosecuted and is liable upon conviction to a fine of $50,000 and imprisonment for six months.
      
     "People are advised to maintain a balanced and varied diet. To avoid health risks posed by excessive intake of metallic contaminants, pregnant women, women planning pregnancy and young children should avoid eating large or predatory fish," the spokesman said.
      
     The CFS will continue to follow up on the case and take appropriate action. Investigation is ongoing.

     A spokesman for the Registration and Electoral Office (REO) said today (August 22) that the REO found that its computer system had encountered technical problems several times between June 14 and July 2 this year. As such, 346 voter registration applications submitted via the "Registration and Electoral Office Online Upload Platform" (the online upload platform) were not saved to the REO's database server and could not be processed.
      
     Voter registration application forms may be submitted to the REO by various ways including post, fax, email (form@reo.gov.hk) and the online upload platform (www.reo-form.gov.hk). There are 385 956 newly registered electors in the 2019 provisional registers of electors, representing a significant increase over previous records.
      
     From June 14 to July 2 this year, about 60 000 people had submitted their voter registration applications through the online upload platform, resulting in a large increase in the utilisation rate when compared with that in regular days. The online upload platform had encountered technical problems several times during the period, and some of the electronic files of the voter registration applications could not be saved to the REO's database server. Such applications therefore could not be processed for inclusion in the 2019 provisional registers of electors.
      
     The REO computer system did not collect any personal data (including IP addresses) of applicants who uploaded their forms via the online upload platform. The REO can only trace back the reference number of the applications and the time of submission to the system. The 346 cases involved in this incident were submitted from June 14 to July 2. The relevant reference numbers start with the letter "R" and contain 16 characters. Applicants who had uploaded the application form for voter registration through the online upload platform during that period of time, please log in to the Online Voter Information Enquiry System (www.voterinfo.gov.hk) to check their latest registered particulars as soon as possible.
      
     The REO apologises to the affected applicants for this incident, and calls on them to urgently contact the REO on or before August 25 (hotline: 2891 1001; e-mail: reoenq@reo.gov.hk). If the affected applicants meet the registration requirements as electors, and can provide the relevant reference number by August 25, the REO will assist them to seek the ruling of the Revising Officer according to the legislation to include their particulars in the 2019 final registers of electors, so that they may vote in the District Council Ordinary Election to be held in November.
      
     The statutory deadline for lodging a claim or objection is August 25. The REO offices, located at 10/F, Harbour Centre, 25 Harbour Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong, and 13/F, Kowloonbay International Trade & Exhibition Centre, 1 Trademark Drive, Kowloon Bay, Kowloon, operate from 9am to 12.30pm and from 1.30pm to 6pm, Mondays to Fridays. Since August 24 and August 25 are Saturday and Sunday respectively, special arrangement will be made by the REO. The two offices will be open from 9am to 6pm these two days to receive notices for claims and objections.

     A man was fined $8,000 today (August 22) at Fanling Magistrates' Courts for operating a money service without a valid licence.

     Acting on complaint, officers of the Customs and Excise Department (C&ED) earlier discovered a grocery shop in Yuen Long suspected of operating a money service without a licence.

     Under the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing Ordinance, a person who wishes to operate a remittance and/or money changing service is required to apply for a licence from the C&ED. Any person who operates a money service without a valid licence commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $100,000 and imprisonment for six months.

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