In view of the latest developments in Israel and Iran, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government today (June 19) raised the Outbound Travel Alert (OTA) for Israel and Iran to black.

     A Government spokesman said, "The black OTA signifies severe threat. Due to the highly unpredictable security situation in Israel and Iran, the HKSAR Government advises Hong Kong residents to avoid all travel to Israel and Iran. Those already there should attend to personal safety and leave or relocate to relatively safe regions immediately."

     The Security Bureau will continue to closely monitor the situation there. Any updates will be issued through the media, the Bureau's mobile app and the OTA webpage (www.sb.gov.hk/eng/ota).

     Hong Kong residents in Israel or Iran should attend to personal safety and pay attention to announcements made by local authorities and the Chinese Embassy there. Hong Kong residents there who need assistance may call the 24-hour hotline of the Assistance to Hong Kong Residents Unit of the Immigration Department (ImmD) at (852) 1868, call the 1868 hotline using network data or use the 1868 Chatbot via the ImmD Mobile Application, send a message to the 1868 WhatsApp assistance hotline, send a message to the 1868 WeChat assistance hotline or submit the Online Assistance Request Form, or contact the local Chinese Embassy (consular protection hotline of Chinese Embassy in Israel: (972) 3-5459520; consular protection hotline of Chinese Embassy in Iran: (98) 912-2176035).

     Hong Kong residents are encouraged to use the online Registration of Outbound Travel Information service (www.gov.hk/roti) of the ImmD to register their contact details and itinerary when outside Hong Kong. The information provided allows the ImmD to disseminate practical information to them through appropriate means, including SMS on mobile phones, in a timely manner when necessary.

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 the press releases issued by the banks listed below relating to fraudulent websites, internet banking login screens, phishing emails or other scams, which have been reported to the HKMA. Hyperlinks to the press releases are available on the HKMA website.
 

 
     The HKMA wishes to remind the public that banks will not send SMS or emails with embedded hyperlinks which direct them to the banks' websites to carry out transactions. They will not ask customers for sensitive information, such as login passwords or one-time password, by phone, email or SMS (including via embedded hyperlinks).
      
     Anyone who has provided his or her personal information, or who has conducted any financial transactions, through or in response to the scams concerned, should contact the relevant bank with the information provided in the corresponding press release, and report the matter to the Crime Wing Information Centre of the Hong Kong Police Force at 2860 5012.

     The Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Algernon Yau, began his visit to France on June 18 (France time) to promote Hong Kong's unique advantages and vast opportunities for businesses.
　
     Mr Yau first visited Toulouse and met with the Group Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Elior Group SA, Mr Daniel Derichebourg, to learn about the company's latest developments and exchange views on promoting closer business collaboration between Hong Kong and France. Elior Group SA is a global aeronautic services company, which is part of Derichebourg SA, a leading business in Europe.
 
     With the assistance of Invest Hong Kong, Elior Group SA has recently set up an Asian headquarters and expanded its presence in Hong Kong. The company early this year signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Airport Authority Hong Kong to explore the possibility of providing professional services such as aircraft dismantling, parts recycling and related training in Hong Kong, thereby helping Hong Kong develop into the first aircraft parts processing and trading centre in Asia.
　　
     Mr Yau said that Hong Kong and France have long-standing business relations and many companies in Hong Kong with parent companies located in France are internationally renowned enterprises. With the distinct advantages under "one country, two systems", Hong Kong is the premier destination for enterprises around the globe to set up or expand their businesses. He believes that the co-operation between the company and various stakeholders in Hong Kong will help unleash market potential and create new opportunities, leveraging Hong Kong's advantages as a business and investment hub, and its role as a springboard to the Mainland, markets in Asia and beyond.
　　
     Meanwhile, Mr Yau took the opportunity to visit the Derichebourg Aeronautics Training Center and the Airbus assembly lines respectively to learn about the latest advancements in related aeronautic training, aircraft manufacturing and sustainable aviation development.
　　
     Mr Yau will proceed to Bordeaux on June 19 (France time).

          

     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health today (June 19) launched a new edition of antimicrobial guidelines entitled the Interhospital Multi-disciplinary Programme on Antimicrobial ChemoTherapy (IMPACT) Guidelines. These guidelines serve as a reference for doctors when prescribing antimicrobial drugs for inpatients, aiming to prevent overuse which may aggravate antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
      
     "In view of the evolving AMR situations, the CHP in collaboration with experts updated IMPACT based on local AMR data and the latest international and local literature for reference of doctors so that antimicrobials can be prescribed in a more accurate manner. The CHP organised a forum today to introduce the major updates of the guidelines, including the empirical therapy of common infections, antimicrobials for known pathogens and recommendations for surgical antimicrobial prophylaxis to over 150 participating healthcare professionals from the public and private sectors. Recommended dosing and adverse reactions for certain antimicrobials are also set out in the updated guidelines," said the Consultant (Antimicrobial Resistance) of the Infection Control Branch of the CHP, Dr Edmond Ma.
      
     In addition to the forum for the medical field, the CHP also issued a Letter to Doctors today, urging them to refer to the new guidelines and prescribe the appropriate antimicrobials to patients in need. This will help curb the spread of drug resistance and safeguard the effectiveness of existing treatments.
      
     Dr Ma added, "AMR occurs when microorganisms (such as bacteria and viruses) evolve and become resistant to previously effective medications. When patients are infected with drug-resistant bacteria, their illness may be prolonged, and their risk of death may even increase. The misuse and overuse of antibiotics are the major drivers of drug-resistant bacteria. Since the first edition of the IMPACT Guidelines was launched in 1999, it has become an important reference for healthcare professionals, helping to minimise unnecessary or inappropriate prescribing of antimicrobials. At the same time, it has become a key foundation for launching the Antimicrobial Stewardship Programme in public hospitals and will facilitate the enhancement of relevant measures in private hospitals in the future. According to the latest surveillance data, the proportion of antimicrobials in the Watch category (i.e. antimicrobials considered by the World Health Organization to be at a higher risk of developing drug resistance) in the total supply of antimicrobials in Hong Kong decreased from 40.3 per cent in 2016 to 34.6 per cent in 2024, indicating that doctors are prescribing relatively fewer broad spectrum antibiotics to help combat AMR."
      
     The Government has been placing great importance on addressing the necessity of combating AMR. In 2022, the Government published the second Hong Kong Strategy and Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance (Action Plan), outlining strategies to tackle the threat of AMR from 2023 to 2027. The measures include reviewing and updating IMPACT, and reminding doctors to prescribe antimicrobials to patients in accordance with guidelines and scientific evidence.
      
     The IMPACT set of guidelines, now in its 6th edition, are a collaborative effort among the CHP, the Hospital Authority, the Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine of the University of Hong Kong, the Faculty of Medicine of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Medical Association and the Hong Kong Private Hospitals Association. The CHP would like to express its sincere gratitude to the Editors, Dr Ho Pak-leung, Dr Wu Tak-chiu, and the other members of the Editorial Board.
 
     The CHP also urged members of the public to work with healthcare professionals to eliminate AMR by observing the following:
 

• Consult a doctor when having a cold, flu or COVID-19. Do not buy antibiotics without a prescription at community pharmacies;
• Do not demand antibiotics from doctors. Only take antibiotics when advised by doctors and complete the whole course of treatment even if symptoms have improved;
• Follow health advice stated on the prescription bag and adopt appropriate infection control measures such as maintaining hand hygiene, wearing a surgical mask when having respiratory symptoms, and disinfecting and covering all wounds properly to prevent person-to-person spread of resistant bacteria when taking antibiotics;
• Receive seasonal influenza and COVID-19 vaccines as effective means to prevent secondary bacterial infection, hence reducing the use of antibiotics and occurrence of AMR;
• Be aware of the risk of acquiring resistant bacteria from ready-to-eat (RTE) food. People taking antibiotics or antacids, and high-risk populations (such as pregnant women, infants and young children, the elderly and people with weakened immunity) are of higher risk and should avoid eating raw or undercooked RTE foods; and
• Observe good hygienic practices in the kitchen when handling food to minimise the risk of cross-contamination by resistant bacteria.

     For details of the IMPACT Guidelines, please visit the IMPACT webpage (impact.chp.gov.hk/). For more information about AMR, please visit the CHP website.

     â€‹The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (June 19) that in view of a notification from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs of Korea about an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5 avian influenza in Seosan-si of Chungcheongnam-do Province in Korea, the CFS has instructed the trade to suspend the import of poultry meat and products (including poultry eggs) from the area with immediate effect to protect public health in Hong Kong.

     A CFS spokesman said that according to the Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong imported about 60 tonnes of frozen poultry meat and about 5.33 million poultry eggs from Korea in the first three months of this year.

     "The CFS has contacted the Korean authority over the issue and will closely monitor information issued by the World Organisation for Animal Health and the relevant authorities on the avian influenza outbreak. Appropriate action will be taken in response to the development of the situation," the spokesman said.