The Home Affairs Department will continue to open 19 community halls/community centres as temporary heat shelters today (July 15).

     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 Districts:
——————

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, Sham Shui Po

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 Districts:
————————–

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.

     Hongkong Post announced today (July 15) that, as advised by the postal administration of St Vincent and the Grenadines, due to the impact of a storm, mail delivery services to St Vincent and the Grenadines are subject to delay.

     The Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, attended the Unveiling Ceremony of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Youth Medical Practice Centre and Kick-off Ceremony of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Medical Experience Camp 2024 of the University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital (HKU-SZH) in Shenzhen today (July 15). He encouraged young people who are aspiring to work in the healthcare sector to learn about the significance of safeguarding health and respecting life through the experience camp to get better prepared to serve society and patients in the future.

     The experience camp will be held between July and August for three sessions. To mark the 75th anniversary of the founding of the country this year, the HKU-SZH has selected 75 outstanding secondary school students aged above 16 from the Mainland, Hong Kong, Macao and overseas to participate in the five-day experience camp so they may gain hospital experience on the work of different healthcare specialties. In addition, in a move to enhance the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Youth Medical Practice Centre for the promotion of deep integration of the humanistic philosophy of medical education; enable exchanges and co-operation among young talent from Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao; and cultivate young medical talent with international vision and basic professional skills, the HKU-SZH has successfully applied for and been designated as the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Youth Medical Practice Centre by the Public Hygiene and Health Commission of Shenzhen Municipality.

     Professor Lo encouraged the students and said, "The experience camp is a precious opportunity for students to closely observe the work of healthcare professionals. I believe that upon completion of the five-day experience camp, you will have a thorough understanding of the nobility in safeguarding health and respecting life. I hope that you will keep this aspiration of becoming healthcare professionals in mind, and put the best interest of patients as your foremost belief in the future. It is also my wish that you will all prepare yourselves with all your strength and subsequently join the healthcare field to serve patients and make contributions to the construction of 'Healthy Hong Kong', 'Healthy Bay Area' and 'Healthy China'."

     During his stay in Shenzhen, Professor Lo also met with representatives of the Public Hygiene and Health Commission of Shenzhen Municipality and the HKU-SZH to discuss cross-boundary medical issues of mutual concern, including the specialist training between Shenzhen and Hong Kong, the hospital accreditation programme, and a direct cross-boundary ambulance service.

     Professor Lo emphasised, "The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government is actively promoting medical exchanges and co-operation between the Mainland and Hong Kong at various levels and exploring ways to improve the connectivity of cross-boundary medical services. Among them, a good example to showcase the co-operation between the two places is the establishment of the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Medical Specialist Training Centre at the HKU-SZH through the collaboration of the Hong Kong Academy of Medicine (HKAM), the Public Hygiene and Health Commission of Shenzhen Municipality, the Shenzhen Medical Doctor Association and the HKU-SZH in 2019. Through the utilisation of the HKAM specialty training model and experience with the actual situation on the Mainland taken into account during integration, the Centre has established a standardised specialty training system aligned with international standards and recognised by the Mainland. This serves as a pioneer demonstration in fostering the cultivation of healthcare talent in Shenzhen, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) and the country.

     "I hope that the two places will further deepen exchanges, and contribute to the nation's and the GBA's healthcare development under the principles of complementarity and mutual benefits as well as on the premise of benefiting the healthcare development of both the Mainland and Hong Kong."

            

Attention TV/radio announcers:

Please broadcast the following as soon as possible and repeat it at regular intervals:

     Here is an item of interest to swimmers.

     The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced today (July 15) that Jockey Club Yan Oi Tong Swimming Pool in Tuen Mun District has been temporarily closed for cleaning and superchlorination following the discovery of a small amount of vomit in the pool.

     It will be reopened at 7pm today.

     The department appeals to swimmers to be considerate and to keep the swimming pools clean. They are advised not to swim after a full meal and should use the toilet facilities if necessary before swimming.

     The Government launched "E-commerce Easy" under the Dedicated Fund on Branding, Upgrading and Domestic Sales (BUD Fund) today (July 15), with a view to assisting enterprises to develop the Mainland market through electronic commerce (e-commerce) business.
 
     Speaking at the launching ceremony of "E-commerce Easy", the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Algernon Yau, said that amid the rapid growth of global e-commerce business, in particular the flourishing Mainland e-commerce market, the Government launched "E-commerce Easy", under which enterprises can flexibly make use of a maximum funding of $1 million to implement e-commerce projects, to further assist them in exploring the enormous potential of the Mainland domestic sales market. He encouraged the trade to make good use of the measure to proactively seize the opportunities in the Mainland e-commerce market to expand their business coverage.
 
     Mr Yau added that the Government will organise the Hong Kong Shopping Festivals on Mainland e-commerce platforms in August through the Hong Kong Trade Development Council to help small and medium enterprises promote Hong Kong brands, with a view to enhancing awareness of Hong Kong products and brands in the Mainland and tapping the Mainland domestic market.
 
     The cumulative funding ceiling of "E-commerce Easy" is $1 million. Unlike general applications of the BUD Fund, items under "E-commerce Easy" projects are not subject to individual funding caps, so that more targeted support can be provided to enterprises. Enterprises can make use of the funding for the establishment of online stores and placement of advertisements on third-party online sales platforms, development or enhancement of mobile applications and incorporation of online payment options on their websites.
 
     Funding under "E-commerce Easy" will be provided to enterprises on a matching basis. Enterprises can opt for an initial payment of up to 75 per cent of the approved government funding. All projects must be completed within 24 months.
 
     Apart from "E-commerce Easy", enterprises may continue to apply for funding through the general application track or "Easy BUD" of the BUD Fund, in order to assist their business development in the Mainland and other markets with which Hong Kong has signed free trade agreements and/or investment promotion and protection agreements. The cumulative funding ceiling per enterprise under the BUD Fund will remain at $7 million.
 
     The BUD Fund was established in 2012 and its current geographical coverage has been expanded to 39 economies. Over $5.1 billion has been approved under the BUD Fund, with more than 5 600 beneficiary enterprises.
 
     Details of BUD Fund – "E-commerce Easy" are available at www.bud.hkpc.org/en. For enquiries, please contact the BUD Fund Secretariat (Tel: 2788 6088).