The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health today (August 23) said that one new confirmed melioidosis infection case had been recorded in the past week (August 16 to 22). The case involv… read more
​The Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau convened a meeting today (August 23) to co-ordinate the preparations for visitor arrivals to Hong Kong during the Mainland’s National Day Golden Week from October 1 to 7. The meeting was hosted by the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Mr Kevin Yeung, with representatives attending from government departments including Hong Kong Customs, the Hong Kong Police Force, the Immigration Department, the Transport Department, and various District Offices. Representatives from various tourism-related organisations, including the Travel Industry Authority, the Hong Kong Tourism Board, the Travel Industry Council of Hong Kong, the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority, major tourist attractions and the hotel industry, also attended.
Mr Yeung said, “Since the number of visitors arriving in Hong Kong will increase during the Mainland’s National Day Golden Week, government departments and relevant organisations will continue to work closely, making early preparations for active deployment of resources as well as stepping up co-ordination and communication with relevant Mainland counterparts. We will do our best to welcome visitors arriving in Hong Kong and provide them with high-quality travel experiences.”
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Relevant parties will maintain close communication before the Mainland’s National Day Golden Week to plan in advance and take forward various preparations in various areas for welcoming visitors to Hong Kong.
The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health today (August 23) reported the latest number of dengue fever (DF) cases, and urged the public to maintain strict environmental hygiene, mosquito control an… read more
The “Anti-drug Info Zone: Stride Ahead Into A Drug-free Future” Roving Exhibition (Anti-drug Roving Exhibition) will move to Olympian City on August 24 and 25. Members of the public are welcome to visit the Anti-drug Roving Exhibition at the Central Atrium on the ground floor of Olympian City 2 from 10am to 9pm.
The Anti-drug Roving Exhibition is co-organised by the Narcotics Division (ND) of the Security Bureau and the Action Committee Against Narcotics, and is designed with the theme of interstellar space. Drugs are portrayed in the exhibition as aliens that should be defeated. This visual representation helps present the adverse effects caused by drugs on one’s mind and body in a vivid manner. And by seeing the aliens, everyone will be strongly reminded again to stay away from drugs at all times, and of the dire consequences of committing drug crimes.
Including elements of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) and multimedia, the Anti-drug Roving Exhibition is divided into different theme zones with games, digital exhibition panels and a photo booth to spread anti-drug knowledge to visitors, and provide them with information about criminal liability for drug offences, how to seek help and so on. Anti-drug videos, animations and leaflets will also be available at the Anti-drug Roving Exhibition to provide visitors with precise information about resisting drugs and seeking help.
After the fourth stop, the Anti-drug Roving Exhibition will be held at shopping malls in different districts and at tertiary institutes until the end of March next year. For more details of the Anti-drug Roving Exhibition, please visit the dedicated webpage on the ND’s website (www.nd.gov.hk/en/rovingexhibition.html).
In addition, the ND has been closely monitoring drug trends in and outside Hong Kong and carrying out preventive education and publicity in a timely manner to deepen the public’s understanding of the harmful effects of drug abuse. The ND has just produced an animated video about “Space oil”, which is about a youngster falling into a drug abyss after inhaling “Space oil” by vaping. “Space oil” is a kind of liquid to which harmful substances have been illegally added. Usually, its main ingredient is etomidate, an anaesthetic that can only be prescribed by a doctor according to the law. Anyone who illegally possesses and uses this substance commits an offence. “Space oil” may also be mixed with other drugs, including cannabis, methamphetamine (commonly known as “Ice”), ketamine (commonly known as “K”), etc. “Space oil” will cause addiction as well as serious physical and mental harm, and even death. Therefore, vaping “Space oil” is the same as taking drugs. The animated video has been uploaded onto the ND’s website (www.nd.gov.hk/en/publicity_materials.html) as well as social media platforms (Facebook page and Instagram account of “narcotics.divisionhk”).
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​To enhance protection for the residents of residential care homes (RCHs) against COVID-19 and encourage timely COVID-19 vaccination so as to cope with the possible winter surge of respiratory tract infections including COVID-19, the Government announced today (August 23) that the outreach vaccination service special programme for residents in RCHs will be relaunched between August 26 and November 17. A special allowance will be provided to visiting doctors of RCHs participating in the special programme to encourage them to pay more visits to residential care homes for the elderly (RCHEs) and residential care homes for persons with disabilities (RCHDs) to provide vaccination service to the residents.
The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) pointed out that the overall activity of COVID-19 has increased since June, with JN.1 and its descendant lineages remaining the predominant circulating strains. According to the latest surveillance data as of August 17, a total of 15 outbreaks in RCHEs and eight outbreaks in RCHDs (affecting 124 and 46 persons respectively) was recorded in the recent four weeks (between July 21 and August 17), which was more than that of the previous four weeks (between June 23 and July 20), when seven RCHE and three RCHD COVID-19 outbreaks (affecting 49 and 22 persons respectively) were recorded.
According to the recommendation by the Scientific Committee on Vaccine Preventable Diseases and the Scientific Committee on Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases under the CHP, high risk groups (including all persons aged 50 years or above and persons aged 18-49 years with chronic diseases) are recommended to receive a booster COVID-19 vaccination at least six months after the last dose or COVID-19 infection (whichever is later), regardless of the number of doses received previously. However, the percentage of RCHE residents who received a booster vaccination or recovered from COVID-19 infection in the past six and 12 months were about 30 per cent and 44 per cent respectively, while that of RCHD residents were about 27 per cent and 41 per cent respectively.
A CHP spokesman stressed that vaccination can effectively prevent serious cases. The CHP strongly appeals to high risk groups, particularly children, the elderly and chronic disease patients, to receive a COVID-19 booster as soon as possible. Hence, the Government will relaunch the outreach vaccination service special programme for RCHs. The new phase of the special programme will last for 12 weeks. Visiting doctors are invited to enhance visits to their responding RCHs and provide outreach vaccination service to the residents who are due for COVID-19 vaccination as soon as possible. The Government will provide a special allowance to visiting doctors participating in the special programme to cover the additional manpower and transportation costs arising from the programme.
The Government has conducted six phases of the outreach vaccination service special programme for RCHs. Under the concerted efforts of the RCH sector and visiting doctors, over 15 500 doses of COVID-19 vaccines were administered in the last phase between December 14, 2023, and March 6, 2024.
The Hospital Authority also continues to provide timely COVID-19 vaccinations to long-stay patients in their hospitals. The public may visit the CHP’s Vaccination Schemes page and COVID-19 Vaccination Programme website for vaccination arrangements. read more