The Government announced today (May 17) that in order to fight the coronavirus epidemic, the Environmental Protection Department and the Drainage Services Department have been collecting sewage samples for virus testing in all districts, and had detected positive results in some areas, indicating that there may be hidden cases in the premises within these areas.
 
Rapid test
 
     As regards positive sewage testing results with relatively high viral loads in the following areas, the Housing Department and the respective District Offices will commence distributing about 300 000 sets of the COVID-19 rapid antigen test (RAT) kits to residents, cleaning workers and property management staff working in the following areas for them to take the test on their own, in order to help identify infected persons:
 

• Tuen Mun District – Terrace Concerto, Tai Hing Gardens Phase 1 and 2, Hong Tak Gardens, Greenland Garden, Chelsea Heights, Wu King Estate, Butterfly Estate, Nerine Cove, Glorious Garden and The Sea Crest
• North District – Tin Ping Estate, Hop Fung Building, Wo Fung House, The Cornwall, Ho King House, Fu Ho Mansion, Fu Yin Building, Po Hon Lau, Po Cheung Building, Po Luen Building, Kin Fung Building, San Wah Bank Building, Cheong Wah Building, Lok Fung Building, Tai Cheong House, Pun Yuen Building, May Lun Building, Luen Wo Centre, Luen Cheong Building, Louver Mansion, Fung King Building, Kam Loi House, Comfort Court, Yau Hing Building, 41-53 Wo Tai Street, 53-55 Wo Fung Street, 53-55 Luen Wo Road, 2-4, 14-16 and 17-35B Luen Cheong Street and 18-36B Luen Shing Street
• Islands District – Caribbean Coast (Albany Cove, Carmel Cove, La Mer, Monterey Cove and Crystal Cove), Coastal Skyline ((i) Coastal Skyline, (ii) Le Bleu, (iii) La Rossa and (iv) Le Bleu Deux) and Seaview Crescent

     Members of the public may refer to (www.coronavirus.gov.hk/rat/eng/rat.html) for enquiries relating to the use of the RAT kits.
 
     When using an RAT kit, please pay attention to and follow the instructions from the manufacturer to perform the test and read the result properly. It is advisable to record the displayed result by taking a photo immediately after reading. Users should wash their hands before and after performing the tests, and avoid placing non-essential items within the specimen collection area. After completing the test, wrap and seal all components of the test kit carefully and dispose of them properly. If the household environment is contaminated during the specimen collecting process, disinfection should be conducted with 1 in 49 diluted bleach solution or 70 per cent alcohol.
 
     People who obtained a positive result through an RAT for the first time can report via the online platform "Declaration System for individuals tested positive for COVID-19 using Rapid Antigen Test" (www.chp.gov.hk/ratp). If individuals encounter difficulties using the online platform, they can call the automated system at 183 6119 to register their identification document and telephone number. The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health will contact the relevant person later to finish the report procedure.

     The Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Edward Yau, will depart for Bangkok, Thailand, tomorrow evening (May 18) to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministers Responsible for Trade (MRT) Meeting to be held on May 21 and 22.
      
     APEC 2022 has adopted the theme "Open. Connect. Balance.", with discussions on topics under three priorities, namely open trade and investment to all opportunities, restoring connectivity in all dimensions, and promoting balance, sustainability and inclusivity in all aspects.
      
     Mr Yau will participate, with trade ministers of other member economies, in discussion sessions entitled "Supporting the Multilateral Trading System" and "Living in the COVID-19 and Beyond". He will also attend the MRT-APEC Business Advisory Council Public-Private Dialogue on the development of the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific.
      
     In addition to joining the discussion sessions of the MRT Meeting, Mr Yau will hold bilateral meetings with other trade ministers to exchange views on issues of mutual interest.
      
     During his stay in Bangkok, Mr Yau will meet with senior officials of the Thai Government and business leaders to give them an update on Hong Kong's latest economic and trade situation. He will also attend celebration events to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region organised by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Bangkok.
      
     Mr Yau will return to Hong Kong in the evening on Sunday (May 22). During his absence, the Under Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Dr Bernard Chan, will be the Acting Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development.

     The effective exchange rate index for the Hong Kong dollar on Tuesday, May 17, 2022 is 100.1 (down 0.5 against yesterday's index).

     The Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) published today (May 17) the May 2022 issue of the "Hong Kong Monthly Digest of Statistics" (HKMDS).
 
     Apart from providing up-to-date statistics, this issue also contains two feature articles entitled "External Debt Statistics of Hong Kong for 2017 to 2021" and "Movements of Producer Price Indices of Service Industries during 2012 to 2021".
 
"External Debt Statistics of Hong Kong for 2017 to 2021"
 
     External Debt (ED) statistics provide useful information for international financial surveillance. They assist data users in monitoring the development of an economy's external liabilities and hence its debt servicing obligations over time. Over the past 5 years, the gross ED of Hong Kong increased by 19.0%, from $12,309.4 billion at end-2017 to $14,652.2 billion at end-2021. This was mainly attributable to the significant increases in ED of the banking sector and other sectors.
 
     For enquiries about this feature article, please contact the Balance of Payments Branch (1), the C&SD (Tel: 3903 6990; email: bop@censtatd.gov.hk).
 
"Movements of Producer Price Indices of Service Industries during 2012 to 2021"
 
     The Producer Price Index (PPI) measures changes in output prices of goods and services of an industry. It can be used as a deflator of output series for discounting the effect of price changes so as to measure changes of local output in real terms and to facilitate the assessment of productivity growth in an economy. PPI is also useful as an economic indicator for monitoring the price movements of local outputs and evaluating their price competitiveness vis-à-vis those delivered in other economies/territories.
 
     This feature article analyses the movements of PPIs of selected service industries during 2012 to 2021.
 
     For enquiries about this feature article, please contact the Logistics and Producer Prices Statistics Section, the C&SD (Tel: 3903 7255; email: services@censtatd.gov.hk).
 
     Published in bilingual form, the HKMDS is a compact volume of official statistics containing about 140 tables. It collects up-to-date statistical series on various aspects of the social and economic situation of Hong Kong. Topics include population; labour; external trade; National Income and Balance of Payments; prices; business performance; energy; housing and property; government accounts, finance and insurance; and transport, communications and tourism. For selected key statistical items, over 20 charts depicting the annual trend in the past decade and quarterly or monthly trend in the recent two years are also available. Users can download the Digest at the website of the C&SD (www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/EIndexbySubject.html?pcode=B1010002&scode=460).
 
     Enquiries about the contents of the Digest can be directed to the Statistical Information Dissemination Section (1) of the C&SD (Tel: 2582 4738; email: gen-enquiry@censtatd.gov.hk).

     The Government today (May 17) reminded members of the public that the third stage of the Vaccine Pass will commence on May 31. By then all members of the public aged 12 or above, except those who obtained the COVID-19 Vaccination Medical Exemption Certificate, are required to receive COVID-19 vaccination according to the following requirements in order to comply with the requirement under the Vaccine Pass.

Non-recovered persons
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(1) Non-recovered persons may use the vaccination record QR code as the Vaccine Pass within six months of receiving the second dose.

(2) Non-recovered persons are required to receive the third dose if it has been over six months from the second dose in order to continue to use the vaccination record QR code as the Vaccine Pass.

Recovered persons
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(3) All recovered persons may use the recovery record QR code or the vaccination record QR code with recovery status incorporated as the Vaccine Pass within six months after recovery.

(4) If the recovered persons had received the second or third dose of vaccine before infection, they are not required to receive an additional vaccine dose. They may use the vaccination record QR code with recovery status incorporated as the Vaccine Pass after the recovery record QR code expires.

(5) If the recovered persons had not received or had only received one dose of vaccine before infection, they are required to receive an additional dose (first or second dose) of vaccine within six months after recovery, in order to continue to use the vaccination record QR code with recovery status incorporated as the Vaccine Pass.

(6) For recovered persons aged 12 to 17, if they had received the first dose of the BioNTech vaccine, they may continue to use the vaccination record QR code with recovery status incorporated as the Vaccine Pass.

     For the arrangement of recovered persons to download the recovery record QR code and the vaccination record QR code with recovery status incorporated, please refer to the press release issued on April 19. Members of the public may also refer to the Government's thematic website for relevant information including details of the Vaccine Pass, the vaccination record, the recovery record and the Medical Exemption Certificate.

     The Government reminded members of the public who have yet to fulfil the requirements of the third stage of the Vaccine Pass to get vaccinated as soon as possible before May 31. The Government also called on members of the public who are eligible for receiving the third dose to receive it as soon as possible, and not to wait for the six-month grace period under the Vaccine Pass to lapse. The Government continues to provide multiple vaccination channels to enable the public to get vaccinated, including:

(1) Currently, there are still abundant vaccination slots at 26 Community Vaccination Centres (CVCs) for the public to receive the Sinovac and BioNTech vaccines. The 26 CVCs will remain in operation until the end of May. Starting from June, 21 CVCs will continue to provide vaccination services to the public.

(2) COVID-19 Vaccination Stations set up at 13 public hospitals under the Hospital Authority (HA) enable patients visiting the hospitals for follow-up appointments and visitors to receive the BioNTech vaccine. Furthermore, 43 designated general outpatient clinics under the HA also provide vaccination services. Among them, 40 clinics provide the Sinovac vaccine, while three clinics provide the BioNTech vaccine.

(3) The number of private healthcare institutions participating in the BioNTech Vaccination Pilot Scheme has increased from 11 to 19. They provide BioNTech vaccination services at 76 service locations in total. Furthermore, members of the public can receive the Sinovac vaccine from private doctors and clinics which have joined the COVID-19 Vaccination Programme. Members of the public can make appointments for vaccination with these institutions and clinics directly without going through the Government's website.

     Other channels for free COVID-19 vaccination include 11 Elderly Health Centres under the Department of Health, as well as District Health Centres (DHCs) and DHC Expresses set up in various districts. The designated website for the COVID-19 Vaccination Programme (www.covidvaccine.gov.hk/en/programme) provides the latest information including details on vaccination venues, reservation and enquiry hotlines.

     "Given the high transmissibility of the Omicron mutant strain, members of the public must still stay vigilant even if the epidemic situation has subsided a little recently. Vaccination is highly effective in preventing severe cases or deaths from COVID-19. We strongly appeal to members of the public who have not been vaccinated, especially senior citizens, chronic patients and other immunocompromised persons who face a much higher fatality risk after COVID-19 infection, to get vaccinated with no delay for the sake of their health. Members of the public who are currently eligible for a third or fourth dose should also get the dose as soon as possible with a view to building an immune barrier for Hong Kong," the spokesperson stressed.