The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health is today (June 20) following up on a cluster of Candida auris carrier cases involving a total of three residents from a residential care home for the elderly (RCHE) in Kwai Chung, and reminded members of the public about the proper use of antimicrobials and maintaining personal hygiene against infection.

     The CHP received notification from the Hospital Authority on June 6 that a 73-year-old female resident of the aforementioned RCHE, who was earlier admitted to Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH), was confirmed to have carried Candida auris upon testing. She is now in stable condition and has been discharged.

     Upon receiving the notification, the CHP conducted a follow-up epidemiological investigation of the RCHE. It was found that an 86-year-old female resident, who had multiple admissions to PMH from June 2021 to June this year, was confirmed earlier to have carried Candida auris upon testing. Contact tracing and screening for contacts further revealed that another 87-year-old female resident is also a carrier case. Both of them are in stable condition.

     The three residents, with underlying illnesses, have no symptoms of infection. The CHP is now investigating the infection source of the cluster. The possibility of transmission in the RCHE is not ruled out.

     The CHP has provided infection control advice and staff training to staff of the RCHE. The RCHE is advised to follow the prevailing guidelines to enhance infection control measures including specific placement of carrier residents, strict observation of infection control precautions, enhancement of environmental cleansing and disinfection, use of dedicated medical equipment, toilet and bathing facilities to prevent the spread of Candida auris. The CHP will keep in close liaison with the RCHE concerned and monitor the situation of the residents, and ensure the RCHE has carried out the various infection control measures.

     A spokesman for the CHP explained that Candida is a fungus commonly found in the natural environment, particularly in moist and warm environments. In humans, it is commonly found in body sites such as the oral cavity, the digestive tract, skin and the vagina. It is a common fungus living on or in the human body but can occasionally cause infections, especially in individuals with impaired immunity.

     â€‹Among the different candida species, Candida auris is more drug-resistant. Infections vary from being mild to potentially life-threatening or fatal, depending on which part of the body is affected and the general health condition of the patient. ​The spokesman stressed that proper use of antimicrobials and maintaining personal hygiene, especially hand hygiene, are crucial to the prevention of emergence and cross-transmission of Candida auris.

     Following is the speech by the Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, at the 75th Independence Day of the State of Israel today (June 20):
 
Consul-General Mr Amir Laty (Consul-General of the State of Israel in Hong Kong), Deputy Commissioner Pan Yundong (Deputy Commissioner of the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
 
     Good evening. It gives me great pleasure to join you all tonight in celebrating the 75th Independence Day of the State of Israel, at this wonderful reception hosted by the Consulate-General of Israel in Hong Kong.
 
     I would like to start by offering my warmest congratulations to the people of Israel, for the remarkable achievements you have made over the past 75 years.
 
     Israel is known for its rapid emergence as a "start-up economy" and a global innovation hub. Israel is one of the world's top locations for entrepreneurs and venture capitalists. Hong Kong and Israel are both dynamic economies, and we share the same spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship. I believe we have great potential in deepening our collaboration in such areas as trade, innovation and technology.
 
     Indeed, Hong Kong and Israel have all along shared cordial trade relations. In terms of merchandise trade, Israel has been our second largest trading partner in the Middle East, with our total merchandise trade amounting to US$3.4 billion in 2022. In turn, Hong Kong was Israel's 10th largest trading partner in 2020.
 
     Under the "one country, two systems" principle, Hong Kong is bestowed with the unique advantage of having the strong support of national strategies, while maintaining excellent connectivity with the rest of the world.
 
     With the support of the National 14th Five-Year Plan, Hong Kong is determined to develop into an international innovation and technology centre.
 
     Hong Kong is the only Asian city with five universities in the world's top 100, and boasts strong research and development (R&D) capabilities. Our world-renowned scholars and experts produce forward-looking R&D results and adopt high scientific research standards.
 
     Since taking office a year ago, this term of the Hong Kong SAR Government has been committed to capitalising on Hong Kong's upstream strengths, and has been promoting the commercialisation of our outstanding R&D outcomes. We will launch a Research, Academic and Industry Sectors One-plus Scheme, in a scale of HK$10 billion, within this year to incentivise universities in the transformation of their research outcomes.
 
     I am certain that there is much room for furthering our co-operation with Israel on the technology front. This past Sunday, I paid a visit to the Hong Kong Science Fair, which featured many innovative proposals and ideas from students in the primary and secondary schools of Hong Kong.
 
     Alongside encouraging the future innovators of our city, I was pleased to have the chance of touring the exhibition booth of an Israeli robotics firm. They showed me its latest idea of developing an autonomous robot for cleaning the exteriors of skyscrapers. As we all know, Hong Kong is world-famous for having a concrete jungle full of high-rise buildings. So the business potential for this very innovative robotics project from Israel sounds pretty promising to us all!
 
     The exchange of experiences and best practices of Hong Kong and Israel is clearly conducive to the advancement of technology development. A cause which Hong Kong, as Asia's world city and a gateway to the vast Chinese market, and Israel, a hub of innovation and entrepreneurship in the Middle East, can certainly work together in contributing to the progress of mankind.
 
     On that note, I would like to once again congratulate Israel on its 75th Independence Day. I wish you all a pleasant evening, and look forward to our continued friendship and co-operation. Thank you. 

    

     A man who went missing in Wong Tai Sin has been located.

     Lam Chi-hung, aged 63, went missing after he left his residence in Choi Hung Estate on May 2 afternoon. His family made a report to Police on May 23.

     The man returned to his residence this afternoon (June 20). He sustained no injuries and no suspicious circumstances were detected.

     This year is the 550th anniversary of the birth of the renowned Polish astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus. The Hong Kong Space Museum will launch a special exhibition, "Nicolaus Copernicus: Life and Work", starting tomorrow (June 21). This exhibition, jointly presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) and the Ministry of the Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland and jointly organised by the Hong Kong Space Museum and the Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in Hong Kong, enables visitors to look at the life and achievements of Copernicus by introducing his life stories, his work across disciplines, monuments and items in remembrance of him.

     Addressing the opening ceremony today (June 20), the Acting Director of Leisure and Cultural Services, Miss Eve Tam, said that the LCSD has been taking an active part in organising numerous museum programmes in collaboration with international partners. The "Nicolaus Copernicus: Life and Work" exhibition showcases Poland's rich cultural and scientific heritage and is a testament to the power of innovation and excellence in the realm of science. It would surely inspire young people to pursue their passions for astronomy and space science. This exhibition which introduces the life and work of Nicolaus Copernicus is not just a celebration of science and astronomy, but also an excellent example of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) education which, as encouraged by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, involves the observation of nature, engagement in critical thinking, and employment of creative approaches to real-world challenges rooted in mathematics and science.

     In addition to being an astronomer, Copernicus was also a physician, diplomat, cartographer, lawyer and an economist. Geocentrism had been the mainstream idea of ancient astronomy, showcasing the Earth as the centre of the universe and all the stars, planets, the Sun and the Moon revolving around the Earth. Based on scientific theory, Copernicus wrote a manuscript 510 years ago, shaking the belief in the geocentric theory and overturning the public's conception on the universe. In 1543, he published a detailed book, "De revolutionibus orbium coelestium" (On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres), on "heliocentrism", which proposed the Sun as the centre of planetary motions, sparking a revolution in astronomy.

     Other officiating guests today included the Consul General of the Republic of Poland in Hong Kong, Dr Aleksander DaÅ„da, and the Museum Director of the Hong Kong Science Museum, Mr Lawrence Lee.

     The exhibition, with free admission, will be staged at the foyer of the Hong Kong Space Museum (10 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon) from June 21 to September 25. For details of the exhibition, please visit hk.space.museum/en/web/spm/exhibitions/special-exhibitions/copernicus.html, or call 2721 0226 for enquiries.

          

     â€‹Hongkong Post announced today (June 20) that, as advised by the postal administration of Italy, due to a local strike, mail delivery services to Italy are subject to delay.