The Shipping and Port Control (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulation 2022 and the Merchant Shipping (Local Vessels) (General) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulation 2022 will take effect upon gazettal this Friday (December 23) to set up eleven vessel height restricted areas (VHRAs) along the viaducts of Tseung Kwan O Cross Bay Bridge (TKOCBB), Tseung Kwan O Interchange (TKOI) and Tseung Kwan O Southern Bridge (TKOSB). The legislative amendments aim to better ensure the safe passage of vessels and mitigate the risk of vessel collision with the bridge structures. 
      
     Having regard to marine traffic and the height of the viaducts, VHRAs with height restrictions being 17.0, 12.0, 6.0 and 3.0 metres along the TKOCBB; 6.0, 3.0 and 2.0 metres along the TKOI; and 5.6 and 4.0 metres along TKOSB will be set up. Except with the permission of the Director of Marine, no vessels exceeding the height restrictions can enter or pass through the relevant VHRAs.
      
     The Panel on Economic Development of the Legislative Council (LegCo), as well as the Local Vessels Advisory Committee, Pilotage Advisory Committee and Port Operations Committee of the Marine Department, have been consulted on the legislative proposal. No adverse comment was received.
      
     The amendment regulations will be tabled at the LegCo for negative vetting on January 11, 2023.

     A spokesman for the Treasury today (December 21) said that the Director of Accounting Services, Ms Susanna Cheung, is undergoing home quarantine in accordance with the guidelines of the Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health, as a family member in her household has tested positive for COVID-19. Ms Cheung will work from home during the quarantine period.

     Ms Cheung has been taking COVID-19 rapid antigen tests regularly with negative test results obtained. She also tested negative after conducting a COVID-19 rapid antigen test today. She has worn masks and followed relevant disease prevention measures at work.

     The Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, together with the Permanent Secretary for Health, Mr Thomas Chan, and the Under Secretary for Health, Dr Libby Lee, met with board members and executives of the Hospital Authority (HA) today (December 21), introducing and listening to their views on various healthcare-related policy initiatives in "The Chief Executive's 2022 Policy Address".

     The Policy Address covers eight policy areas related to the healthcare policy initiatives, including primary healthcare, public hospital services, healthcare manpower supply, development of Chinese medicine, mental health, tobacco control, healthcare co-operation with the Mainland, as well as prevention and control of the COVID-19 epidemic.

     Professor Lo said, "The Policy Address mentions that the Government will revamp the healthcare system. The aim is to shift the emphasis of the healthcare system from its current treatment-oriented, hospital-based structure to a prevention-focused, community-based system. The Health Bureau (HHB) just released the Primary Healthcare Blueprint this Monday (December 19). The Blueprint focuses on rolling out a series of reform measures to strengthen Hong Kong's primary healthcare services, improve the overall health status of the population, prevent overburdening the specialist services of public hospitals, and build a sustainable healthcare system.

     "At the same time, we will also work hand in hand with the HA to improve the quality and efficiency of public medical services, including further management of the waiting time for specialist out-patient clinics by adopting a multi-pronged approach, improve patient experience, and strengthen medical infrastructure, etc. In order to ensure that sufficient healthcare manpower is available to deliver various healthcare services to members of the public, we will also increase the supply of manpower and strengthen the training for healthcare professionals.

     "I would like to express gratitude to the Chairman of the HA, Mr Henry Fan, and other board members for their continuous support to the policies of the HHB; as well as their valuable advice and establishment of key performance indicators in relation to the healthcare-related policy initiatives in the Policy Address. The Government will continue to work hand in hand with the relevant stakeholders to provide highly effective and quality healthcare services to citizens, with a view to building a healthy and vibrant Hong Kong."

  

      The first stage of selection for the District Services and Community Care Teams in the Tsuen Wan and Southern Districts opens for applications today (December 21).
 
      As announced in the 2022 Policy Address, Care Teams will be set up in the 18 districts to support the Government's district work and strengthen community network, starting from Tsuen Wan and Southern Districts.
 
      The Government will delineate each district into different sub-districts, and set up a Care Team in each sub-district. The Tsuen Wan District will be delineated into 19 sub-districts; and the Southern District 17 sub-districts. Organisations will form the Care Teams through a selection process. 
 
      The selection process of the Care Teams consists of two stages: (1) organisation selection stage and (2) service proposal assessment stage. In the first stage, the experience in providing services/organising activities, district network, mobilisation capability, etc, of the applicant organisations will be assessed. In the second stage, organisations that have passed the first stage will submit service proposals based on the key performance indicators (KPIs) set by District Offices for individual sub-districts. Organisations that have passed the two-stage selection process will become Care Teams of the sub-districts concerned.
 
      The two-stage selection process will be undertaken by the Territory-wide Assessment and Steering Group on Care Teams chaired by the Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, and District Assessment and Coordinating Panels on Care Teams chaired by District Officers to ensure its transparency and fairness. The Steering Group has earlier held its first meeting and established the assessment criteria for the two-stage selection.
 
      Guidance on application and the assessment criteria are set out in the application guide (www.had.gov.hk/en/public_services/district_services_community_care_teams/selection.htm). Interested organisations should submit the completed application forms and the documents required to the Tsuen Wan District Office or the Southern District Office on or before January 9, 2023. For enquiries, please contact the Tsuen Wan District Office (tel: 3515 5702) or the Southern District Office (tel: 2814 5802).
 
      With reference to the experience of the Tsuen Wan and Southern Districts, the Government will set up Care Teams in other districts gradually.

     The Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau, together with the Eastern Police District and the Department of Health, conducted an enforcement operation today (December 21) at a building in North Point, which was included in a compulsory testing notice earlier. The operation commenced at around 8.30am and ended at around 11.30am today.

     Starting from around 8.30am today, staff arranged by the Government stationed at the entrances/exits of Block 1, City Garden, North Point, to verify the testing certifications of persons subject to compulsory testing so as to confirm whether they had undergone testing in compliance with the requirement of the compulsory testing notice. Persons subject to compulsory testing had to present the SMS notification containing the results of COVID-19 tests or relevant proof, to prove that they had followed the requirement pursuant to the compulsory testing notice and completed the test within the specified period.
 
     During the operation, 248 persons were checked, all of whom had already undergone testing in compliance with the requirement.
   
     The Government expresses gratitude to persons subject to compulsory testing who complied with the compulsory testing notices for their co-operation to fight the virus together. A Government spokesman reminded that any person who fails to comply with the compulsory testing notice commits an offence and may be fined a fixed penalty of $10,000. The Government will also issue the person concerned a compulsory testing order requiring him or her to undergo testing within a specified time frame. Failure to comply with the compulsory testing order is an offence, and the offender would be liable to a fine at level 5 ($50,000) and an imprisonment for six months. The spokesman reiterated that the Government will continue to enforce the law strictly.
 
     Also, the Government understands that the enforcement process may cause inconvenience to some residents, and appeals for their understanding. Gratitude is also extended to members of the public and relevant organisations for their support and co-operation.