Tag Archives: China

     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) is today (June 10) investigating a case of measles infection.

     The case involves a 13-month-old baby boy with good past health, who has developed fever, cough and running nose since June 2 and rash since June 5. He was taken to a general practitioner on June 6 and then to the Accident and Emergency Department at Tseung Kwan O Hospital on June 7 and was subsequently transferred to United Christian Hospital for admission and treatment on the same day.

     A laboratory test of his respiratory specimen was positive for the measles virus. He is in a stable condition and has not received measles vaccination. He travelled to Jiangmen during the incubation period but had no travel history during the communicable period.

     According to the patient’s family, he did not have contact with measles patients during the incubation period. His home contacts have remained asymptomatic so far and have been put under medical surveillance.
 
     Upon notification of the case, the CHP immediately commenced epidemiological investigations and conducted relevant contact tracing. Investigations are ongoing. The public places the patient visited during the communicable period are listed in the appendix.

     A spokesman for the DH said, “Those who might have had contact with the patient during the period of communicability are urged to observe if they have developed measles-related symptoms, and to seek medical treatment immediately if such symptoms appear. If they need to visit any health care facilities during the period of medical surveillance, they should also report whether they have symptoms and prior measles exposure history to the healthcare workers so that appropriate infection control measures can be implemented at the healthcare facilities concerned to prevent any potential spread.”

     The spokesman explained that measles is a highly infectious disease caused by the measles virus. It can be transmitted by airborne droplets or direct contact with nasal or throat secretions of infected persons, and, less commonly, by articles soiled with nose and throat secretions. A patient can pass the disease to other persons from four days before to four days after the appearance of skin rash.

     “The incubation period (the period from infection to appearance of illness) of measles ranges from seven days to 21 days. Symptoms of measles include fever, skin rash, cough, runny nose and red eyes. If symptoms arise, members of the public should wear surgical masks, stop going to work or school and avoid going to crowded places. They should also avoid contact with non-immune persons, especially persons with weakened immunity, pregnant women and children aged below 1. Those suspected to have been infected are advised to seek medical attention as early as possible and reveal relevant contact history of measles to healthcare professionals,” the spokesman advised. 

     “Vaccination is the most effective way to prevent measles. Members of the public who are planning to travel to places with high incidence or outbreaks of measles should review their vaccination history and past medical history, especially people born outside Hong Kong who might not have received measles vaccination during childhood. The history of measles vaccination in Hong Kong is available in the CHP’s measles thematic page. Those who have not received two doses of measles-containing vaccines, with unknown vaccination history or unknown immunity against measles are urged to consult their doctor for advice on vaccination at least two weeks before departure,” the spokesman said.
  
     Besides being vaccinated against measles, members of the public should take the following measures to prevent infection:
 

• Maintain good personal and environmental hygiene;
• Maintain good indoor ventilation;
• Keep hands clean and wash hands properly;
• Wash hands when they are dirtied by respiratory secretions, such as after sneezing;
• Cover the nose and mouth while sneezing or coughing and dispose of nasal and mouth discharge properly;
• Clean used toys and furniture properly; and
• Persons with measles should be kept out of school till four days from the appearance of rash to prevent spread of the infection to non-immune persons in school.

     For more information on measles, the public may call the 24-hour health education hotline 2833 0111 or visit the CHP’s measles thematic page. For outbreak news of measles outside Hong Kong or the latest travel health advice, please visit the website of DH’s Travel Health Service. read more

     A spokesman for the Housing Department (HD) today (June 10) reminded residents of public rental housing (PRH) estates to declare truthfully their income and assets.

     Two PRH residents living at a PRH flat at Oi Man Estate in Ho Man Tin declared on a 2018 Income and Asset Declaration Form to have no domestic property ownership in Hong Kong and that their total household net asset value did not exceed 100 times the prevailing PRH Income Limit (the asset limit for that household was $2,240,000). Subsequent investigation revealed that the two residents individually owned 50 per cent ownership of a domestic property in Hong Kong at the time and the estimated total household net asset value was about $6,750,000. Both residents were prosecuted by the HD for making a false statement knowingly, contrary to Section 26(1)(a) of the Housing Ordinance. Both defendants were convicted by the presiding magistrate in Kowloon City Magistrates’ Courts this afternoon and were fined $40,000 and $30,000 respectively. Furthermore, the public rental housing unit concerned had already been recovered by the HD in January this year.

     The spokesman said that households living in PRH should complete their income and asset declaration forms accurately, which forms the foundation for the assessment of rent and their eligibility for continuing residence. Before making the declarations, households should read the content and completion guidelines of the income and asset declaration form carefully and compute their income and assets in accordance with the methods specified. Otherwise, they may be prosecuted for making a false statement knowingly, contrary to Section 26(1)(a) of the Housing Ordinance (if convicted, the maximum penalty is a $50,000 fine and imprisonment for six months) or being prosecuted for neglecting to furnish information as specified in a declaration form, contrary to Section 27(a) of the Housing Ordinance (if convicted, the maximum penalty is a $25,000 fine and imprisonment for three months).

     Notwithstanding the above, the HD will take action to recover the undercharged rent incurred due to the inaccurate information. According to the revised “Well-off Tenants Policies” endorsed in December 2016, PRH households with domestic property ownership in Hong Kong or their total household net asset value exceeding 100 times the prevailing PRH Income Limit, irrespective of their levels of household income, will be required to vacate their PRH flats. read more

     One nomination for the Shap Pat Heung West Constituency and two nominations for the San Tin Constituency were received by the Returning Officer for the by-election of the Yuen Long District Council by the close of the nomination period today (June 10).

     Particulars of the nominees are available on the Electoral Affairs Commission website (www.eac.hk/en/distco/2019yld_candidates.htm).
 
     A full list of the validly nominated candidates will be published in the Gazette after the Returning Officer has validated and confirmed the eligibility for candidature of the nominees.

     If the number of validly nominated candidates for a constituency is more than one at the by-election, a poll will be held on July 14, 2019 (Sunday) for the by-election for that constituency.

     The Commission will hold a briefing for candidates and their agents at Yuen Long Town East Community Hall, 9 Long Yat Road, Yuen Long, New Territories, at 7pm on June 13, 2019 (Thursday).

     The Commission’s Chairman, Mr Justice Barnabas Fung Wah, will chair the briefing and introduce the guidelines on election-related activities, electoral arrangements for the by-election and the important points to note in running election campaigns. A representative from the Independent Commission Against Corruption will explain the Elections (Corrupt and Illegal Conduct) Ordinance. The Returning Officer and representatives from the Registration and Electoral Office, Hongkong Post and the Department of Justice will also be present.
 
     Before the briefing, the Returning Officer or Assistant Returning Officer will determine the order of appearance of names of candidates on the ballot papers and the allocation of designated spots for the display of election advertisements by drawing of lots. read more

     The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, officiated at the Kick-off Ceremony for "Safer Living 2.0" this afternoon (June 10). Accompanied by the Secretary for Development, Mr Michael Wong, and the Director of Civil Engineering… read more

     Following is the transcript of remarks by the Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, at a media session this morning (June 10):
 
Reporter: Mrs Lam, the demands of one million protesters were very clear – they want the bill withdrawn, they want you to step down. How much more clear do you need them to be? Is it that you think you can ignore them so that there would be escalated action, such as people going on strike or even further radical actions?

Chief Executive: First of all, let me say that I and my team have not ignored any views expressed on this very important piece of legislation. We have been listening, and listening very attentively and very humbly, to views expressed by various sectors. We have already made two sets of amendments to our proposals, one before the introduction of the bill and one after the introduction of the bill. The reality is, after these additional measures have been introduced, and many of them concern human rights safeguards over and above what is now contained in the Fugitive Offenders Ordinance, we were told, we received feedback, that these additional measures are effective in addressing the concerns of the stakeholders. We will continue to do so. There’s no question of us ignoring views expressed in society. But Hong Kong has to move on, there are severe deficiencies and gaps in our existing system to deal with cross-border crimes and transnational crimes. There is a very difficult area to understand – why Hong Kong cannot have any mutual legal assistance on criminal matters with our closest neighbours, that is the Mainland of China, Taiwan and Macao? We have to plug that loophole and rectify that deficiency for the long-term benefit of Hong Kong because nobody wants Hong Kong to be a fugitive offenders’ haven; nobody wants to see Hong Kong people committing crimes outside of Hong Kong and then return to Hong Kong as if they have not done anything wrong. So, this work has to continue to be done. As for myself, I have been the Chief Executive of Hong Kong for about two years. I have spent every moment of my time to work for the benefit of Hong Kong – every aspect, it’s not just on improving the justice system; it’s also on pushing Hong Kong’s economic development and addressing livelihood issues, like housing and poverty and so on. I think I will continue to do this in my utmost ability and to address the issues and concerns of Hong Kong people, especially at a time when our economy is going to undergo some very severe challenges because of the external uncertainties. I think it is all the more important for us to have a stable team to rise to the challenges and to resolve many of the difficult areas that we are going to face.

Reporter: Mrs Lam, if I may, one million peaceful protesters came out on the streets yesterday, they want the law to be scrapped. That’s unambiguous. They don’t want extra safeguards. They have expressed a lack of trust and confidence in the Chinese legal system. Are you categorically saying now at this moment that you will not consider scrapping the law? And when you took office, you pledged to everyone in Hong Kong that you would heal divisions, that you would express the views of the Hong Kong people to Beijing. Have you attempted to persuade Beijing to postpone or scrap this law in all your meetings including the emergency crisis meeting last night after the protest with Chinese officials?
 
Chief Executive: First of all, as we have said in the Government’s response issued last night, the bill will resume its Second Reading on June 12 and we appeal to members of the Legislative Council to discuss and debate on the bill in a calm and rational manner. I hope that similar appeal will go to organisations in society which may be planning other actions including perhaps some radical actions.
 
     On your second question, I must first correct what you said. There was no emergency meeting with the Central People’s Government last night. There was not even an emergency meeting with my team because we have been communicating the whole day, monitoring the situation, so there is no such thing as an emergency meeting with the Central People’s Government. You have to substantiate that if you want to make that categorical allegation.
 
     Second thing is this bill is not just about the Mainland jurisdiction. This bill is about putting in place a special surrender arrangement that is a case-by-case arrangement with all the other jurisdictions that Hong Kong has not yet had a long-term arrangement and the number of such jurisdictions that Hong Kong has is a mere 20. So there must be over 170 other jurisdictions that we have no (workable) legal basis to entertain a request for the return of a fugitive offender, somebody who has committed a very serious crime in that particular jurisdiction but has fled to Hong Kong and we can’t do anything about it. The same applies to our neighbours, Mainland China, Taiwan, Macao, we can’t do anything about it because there isn’t any arrangement for the surrender of fugitive offenders, there isn’t even any arrangement for mutual legal assistance on criminal matters. This bill is not about Mainland alone. This bill is not initiated by the Central People’s Government. I have not received any instruction or mandate from Beijing to do this bill. We were doing it and we are still doing it out of our clear conscience and our commitment to Hong Kong. We want Hong Kong to fare well. We realise that Hong Kong has some major deficiencies which have been criticised by overseas bodies. If you have a chance to look at the Financial Action Task Force, which is coming from the G7, Western democracies, what did they say in their review on Hong Kong on money laundering and terrorist financing? They said we had a significant deficit, which is undermining international collaboration. So as responsible officials standing here, we are duty-bound to address that deficiency. It is not Beijing, but if you care to read the paper that we issued on May 30 to the Legislative Council Security Panel, there were two paragraphs talking about relationship between the Hong Kong SAR and the Central Government. Because in the course of doing this exercise, I realised, S for S (Secretary for Security) realised, that the focus unfortunately or understandably was on the Mainland because of trust issues, because of the differences in the legal systems. So I did reflect faithfully to the Central People’s Government about these concerns and anxieties. And in the additional safeguards that we have introduced, you will notice that some were specifically related to the Mainland, for example, if we need a central authority to trigger that request, that central authority has to be Supreme People’s Procuratorate. I can’t do this without indication from the Central People’s Government that this is acceptable. And then we said that after conviction, if a Hong Kong person prefers to come back to Hong Kong to serve in Hong Kong’s prison, because then they would be easier to be visited by families, it needs to amend the ordinance because at the moment the sentenced prisoners return ordinance again excludes the Mainland of China. So I have to tell the leaders that I need that assurance in order to assure the people of Hong Kong. So whatever they did, as I have said in those two paragraphs, which I wrote for him (the Secretary for Security) because I was the person to communicate directly with the Central People’s Government, the Central People’s Government understands the difficulties and the controversies in Hong Kong and the Central Government supports and respects the views of the Hong Kong SAR, particularly myself, the Chief Executive, and so they have agreed everything in the additional safeguards that concern the Mainland of China.
 
Reporter: Do you have any plans and intention to delay the process just to communicate better with the Hong Kong people? And what’s your message to those outside of Hong Kong watching this development?
 
Chief Executive: As I have repeatedly referred to what the Government’s response said last night, the bill will resume its Second Reading Debate on June 12, and we appeal to members of the Legislative Council and various organisations and groups in society to continue to participate in the discussion in a calm, rational and peaceful manner. Since early February when we first announced our intention to do this legislative amendment after months of research and international study, the intensity of discussion in these four months is quite unprecedented for a bill proposed by the Government. I would say that while we will continue to do the communication and explanation, there is very little merit to be gained to delay the bill – it will just cause more anxiety and divisiveness in society. But once the bill is passed, as I said, we will regularly report to the Legislative Council the implementation of this bill. And after all, if you are in possession of the numbers, every year we are talking about five such cases, because since 1997, the Hong Kong SAR Government has only surrendered slightly over 100 cases, and the majority were to the United States of America. We can explain and account for each of these cases dealt with under the ordinance, especially under the proposed special surrender arrangement, to the Legislative Council. I don’t think it is an appropriate decision for us to now pull out this bill because of the very important objectives that this bill is intended to achieve.
 
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.) read more