​The Lands Department (LandsD) announced today (June 23) that a site, Tuen Mun Town Lot No. 569 at Hoi Chu Road, Tuen Mun, New Territories, in the 2025-26 Land Sale List, will be disposed of by public tender. The tender … read more
The Home Affairs Department will continue to open 19 community halls/community centres as temporary heat shelters today (June 23).
The temporary heat shelters will remain open for people to take refuge from the heat when the Very Hot Weather Warning is in force. From 10.30pm to 8am the next day, the temporary heat shelters will also provide bedding and a sleeping place for people in need. The shelters are manned by duty attendants.
For further information, please call the department’s hotline before midnight on 2572 8427.
The heat shelters are located at:
Hong Kong Island:
———————
Central and Western –
Sai Ying Pun Community Complex Community Hall
3/F, Sai Ying Pun Community Complex
2 High Street, Sai Ying Pun
Eastern –
Causeway Bay Community Centre
3/F, 7 Fook Yum Road, Causeway Bay
Southern –
Lei Tung Community Hall
Lei Tung Estate, Ap Lei Chau
Wan Chai –
Wan Chai Activities Centre
LG/F, Wan Chai Market, 258 Queen’s Road East, Wan Chai
Kowloon:
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Kowloon City –
Hung Hom Community Hall
1/F, Kowloon City Government Offices
42 Bailey Street, Hung Hom
Kwun Tong –
Lam Tin (West) Estate Community Centre
71 Kai Tin Road, Lam Tin
Sham Shui Po –
Shek Kip Mei Community Hall
G/F, Block 42, Shek Kip Mei Estate
Wong Tai Sin –
Tsz Wan Shan (South) Estate Community Centre
45 Wan Wah Street, Tsz Wan Shan
Yau Tsim Mong –
Henry G Leong Yaumatei Community Centre
60 Public Square Street, Yau Ma Tei
New Territories:
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Islands –
Tung Chung Community Hall
G/F, Tung Chung Municipal Services Building, 39 Man Tung Road, Tung Chung
Kwai Tsing –
Kwai Shing Community Hall
Podium, Block 6, Kwai Shing West Estate, Kwai Chung
North –
Cheung Wah Community Hall
Cheung Wah Estate, Fanling
Sai Kung –
Hang Hau Community Hall
G/F, Sai Kung Tseung Kwan O Government Complex, 38 Pui Shing Road, Hang Hau, Tseung Kwan O
Sha Tin –
Lung Hang Estate Community Centre
Lung Hang Estate, Sha Tin
Tai Po –
Tai Po Community Centre
2 Heung Sze Wui Street, Tai Po
Tsuen Wan –
Lei Muk Shue Community Hall
G/F, Hong Shue House, Lei Muk Shue Estate, Tsuen Wan
Tuen Mun –
Butterfly Bay Community Centre
Butterfly Estate (near Tip Sum House), Tuen Mun
Yuen Long –
Long Ping Community Hall
Long Ping Estate, Yuen Long
Yuen Long –
Tin Yiu Community Centre
Tin Yiu Estate, Tin Shui Wai
In addition to the above heat shelters, a number of community halls/community centres can also be used for taking refuge from the heat during their operating hours. For their address details, please browse the following document: www.had.gov.hk/file_manager/en/documents/public_services/emergency_services/List_CH_CC_Day_E.pdf. read more
The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health today (June 23) reported the latest number of cases of Legionnaires’ disease (LD), and reminded the public of the importance of using and maintaining properly designed man-made water systems, adding that susceptible groups should strictly observe relevant precautions.
From June 15 to 21, the CHP recorded six LD cases. Among these, one was an imported case, and five were community-acquired cases.
The details of the imported case are as follows:
1. A 63-year-old male patient with underlying illnesses, who travelled to the Mainland during the incubation period.
The details of the community-acquired cases are as follows:
1. A 62-year-old female patient with underlying illnesses living in Kowloon City District;
2. A 58-year-old female patient with underlying illnesses living in Yuen Long District;
3. A 64-year-old male patient with underlying illnesses living in Yau Tsim Mong District;
4. A 77-year-old male patient with underlying illnesses living in Kwai Tsing District; and
5. A 52-year-old male patient with underlying illnesses living in Yuen Long District.
The CHP is conducting epidemiological investigations to identify potential sources of infection and high-risk exposure. Initial investigation revealed that all six cases are sporadic cases. No epidemiological linkages have been established between these case and other confirmed cases previously recorded in Hong Kong.
As of June 21, 67 LD cases had been recorded this year. In 2024 and 2023, there were 135 and 121 LD cases respectively.
Men, people aged over 50, smokers, alcoholics and persons with weakened immunity are more susceptible to LD. Some situations may also increase the risk of infection, including poor maintenance of water systems; living in areas with old water systems, cooling towers or fountains; using electric water heaters, whirlpools and spas or hot water spring spas; and recent stays in hotels or vessels.
Legionellae are found in various environmental settings and grow well in warm water (20 to 45 degrees Celsius). They can be found in aqueous environments such as water tanks, hot and cold water systems, cooling towers, whirlpools and spas, water fountains and home apparatus that support breathing. People may become infected when they breathe in contaminated droplets (aerosols) and mist generated by artificial water systems, or when handling garden soil, compost and potting mixes.
Immunocompromised persons should:
· Use sterile or boiled water for drinking, tooth brushing and mouth rinsing;
· Avoid using humidifiers, or other mist- or aerosol-generating devices; and
· If using humidifiers, or other mist- or aerosol-generating devices, fill the water tank with only sterile or cooled freshly boiled water, and not water directly from the tap. Also, clean and maintain humidifiers/devices regularly according to manufacturers’ instructions. Never leave stagnant water in a humidifier/device. Empty the water tank, wipe all surfaces dry, and change the water daily.
The public should observe the health advice below:
· Observe personal hygiene;
· Do not smoke and avoid alcohol consumption;
· Strainers in water taps and shower heads should be inspected, cleaned, descaled and disinfected regularly or at a frequency recommended by the manufacturer;
· If a fresh-water plumbing system is properly maintained, it is not necessary to install domestic water filters. Use of water filters is not encouraged as clogging occurs easily, which can promote growth of micro-organisms. In case water filters are used, the pore size should be 0.2 micrometres (µm) and the filter needs to be changed periodically according to the manufacturer’s recommendations;
· Drain and clean water tanks of buildings at least quarterly;
· Drain or purge for at least one minute infrequently used water outlets (e.g. water taps, shower heads and hot water outlets) and stagnant points of the pipework weekly or before use;
· Seek and follow doctors’ professional advice regarding the use and maintenance of home respiratory devices and use only sterile water (not distilled or tap water) to clean and fill the reservoir. Clean and maintain the device regularly according to the manufacturer’s instructions. After cleaning/disinfection, rinse the device with sterile water, cooled freshly boiled water or water filtered with 0.2 µm filters. Never leave stagnant water in the device. Empty the water tank, keep all surfaces dry, and change the water daily; and
· When handling garden soil, compost and potting mixes:
1. Wear gloves and a face mask;
2. Water gardens and compost gently using low pressure;
3. Open composted potting mixes slowly and make sure the opening is directed away from the face;
4. Wet the soil to reduce dust when potting plants; and
5. Avoid working in poorly ventilated places such as enclosed greenhouses.
​​The public may visit the CHP’s LD page, the Code of Practice for Prevention of LD and the Housekeeping Guidelines for Cold and Hot Water Systems for Building Management of the Prevention of LD Committee, and the CHP’s risk-based strategy for prevention and control of LD. read more
​The Department of Justice (DoJ) welcomed the notice issued by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) last Friday (June 20) on the details of the 2025 Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Legal Professional Examination (GBA Examination). The examination will be held on October 25 in Shenzhen and Zhuhai, Guangdong. Eligible applicants can apply to sit for the examination through the website of the MoJ from June 25 to July 4. For more details, please visit: www.moj.gov.cn/pub/sfbgw/zwxxgk/fdzdgknr/fdzdgknrtzwj/202506/t20250620_521341.html (in Chinese only).
The GBA Examination has been held four times. Currently, over 560 Hong Kong and Macao legal practitioners have passed the examination and obtained the Lawyer’s License (Guangdong-Hongkong-Macao Greater Bay Area) to provide legal services in the nine Mainland municipalities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) on specified civil and commercial matters to which the Mainland laws apply. The period of the pilot scheme for Hong Kong and Macao legal practitioners to practise in the nine Mainland municipalities in the GBA has been extended until October 4, 2026. The practice experience threshold for enrolment in the GBA Examination has also been lowered from five years to three years.
The Secretary for Justice, Mr Paul Lam, SC, said, “As the GBA Examination continues to be held and the team of GBA lawyers continues to grow, the pilot scheme fully harnesses the GBA’s unique advantage of ‘one country, two systems and three jurisdictions’, contributing to the construction of rule of law in the GBA. The pilot scheme will expire next year. We will actively strive for the scheme of GBA lawyers to be regularised.”
The DoJ will continue to work closely with authorities including the MoJ and the Department of Justice of Guangdong Province in their work to implement the fifth GBA Examination and provide training for GBA lawyers. read more
In response to the Japanese Government’s plan to discharge nuclear-contaminated water at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Station, the Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene issued a Food Safety Order which prohibits all aquatic products, sea salt and seaweeds originating from the 10 metropolis/prefectures, namely Tokyo, Fukushima, Ibaraki, Miyagi, Chiba, Gunma, Tochigi, Niigata, Nagano and Saitama, from being imported into and supplied in Hong Kong.
For other Japanese aquatic products, sea salt and seaweeds that are not prohibited from being imported into Hong Kong, the Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department is conducting comprehensive radiological tests to verify that the radiation levels of these products do not exceed the guideline levels before they are allowed to be supplied in the market.
From noon on June 20 to noon today (June 23), the CFS conducted tests on the radiological levels of 325 food samples imported from Japan, which were of the “aquatic and related products, seaweeds and sea salt” category, in the past three days (including last Saturday and Sunday). No sample was found to have exceeded the safety limit. Details can be found on the CFS’s thematic website titled “Control Measures on Foods Imported from Japan” (www.cfs.gov.hk/english/programme/programme_rafs/programme_rafs_fc_01_30_Nuclear_Event_and_Food_Safety.html).
In parallel, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) has also tested 150 samples of local catch for radiological levels. All the samples passed the tests. Details can be found on the AFCD’s website (www.afcd.gov.hk/english/fisheries/Radiological_testing/Radiological_Test.html).
The Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) has also enhanced the environmental monitoring of the local waters. No anomaly has been detected so far. For details, please refer to the HKO’s website
(www.hko.gov.hk/en/radiation/monitoring/seawater.html).
From August 24, 2023, to noon today, the CFS and the AFCD have conducted tests on the radiological levels of 145 719 samples of food imported from Japan (including 95 747 samples of aquatic and related products, seaweeds and sea salt) and 33 292 samples of local catch respectively. All the samples passed the tests. read more