Tag Archives: China

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Update on supplies from Mainland

     The Task Force of Supplies from the Mainland led by the Transport and Housing Bureau (THB) has been working closely with the Guangdong Provincial Government and the Shenzhen Municipal People’s Government to explore various means to stabilise the supply of goods from the Mainland to Hong Kong. In addition to road transport arrangements, transportation of goods by water and railway is already in service.
 
     A spokesperson for the THB said that the “Sea Express” water transportation service from the Mainland to Hong Kong has been fully launched and its capacity is rising to increase the supplies of fresh food, other daily necessities and manufacturing materials. The current supply of fresh food from the Mainland is stable.
 
     Currently, there are three water transportation routes between Hong Kong and Shenzhen, namely (1) from Shenzhen Yantian International Container Terminals to Hong Kong Kwai Tsing Container Terminals (KTCT); (2) from Shenzhen DaChan Bay Terminals to KTCT; and (3) from China Merchants Port (South China) Management Center (Shenzhen Mawan, Shekou and Chiwan Container Terminals) to Hong Kong River Trade Terminal and elsewhere. Together with the water transportation routes from other cities in Guangdong Province, including the routes from Guangzhou Lianhuashan Port, Nansha Port, Huadu Port, Zhongshan Huangpu Port and Zhuhai Doumen Port to different terminals in Hong Kong, the water transport capacity amounts to tens of thousands of tonnes daily.
 
     The spokesperson said today (May 16) that Shenzhen operated 61 cargo vessel trips and transported around 6 370 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of cross-boundary supplies by water yesterday (May 15), equivalent to about 30 690 tonnes of goods, of which around 10 TEUs (about 50 tonnes) were fresh food and around 6 360 TEUs (about 30 640 tonnes) were non-fresh food, according to information from the Mainland authorities.
 
     Since the launch of services from the three ports in Shenzhen since February 18 to yesterday, a total of around 360 390 TEUs of cross-boundary supplies have been transported, equivalent to about 1 860 460 tonnes of goods, of which around 1 660 TEUs (about 14 220 tonnes) were fresh food and around 358 730 TEUs (about 1 846 240 tonnes) were non-fresh food.
 
     To further ensure a stable goods supply to Hong Kong through land transport, a trial run of cargo transfer was conducted by the THB at a yard situated on Kam Pok Road, San Tin, Yuen Long, and it was completed smoothly. The THB will continue to work with the Mainland authorities to fully take forward cargo transfer arrangements on the Hong Kong side. It is a contingency measure in response to the latest epidemic situation in the city so as to reduce the risk of epidemic transmission in both the Mainland and Hong Kong, ensuring both smooth cross-boundary land transport and a stable goods supply to Hong Kong.
 
     Meanwhile, to avoid a spillover of the epidemic, the Transport Department (TD) has arranged for dedicated staff to conduct rapid antigen tests for cross-boundary goods vehicle drivers at various land boundary control points (BCPs) from February 28 onwards. Only drivers with a negative result are allowed to enter the Mainland. In order to further improve the accuracy of the tests, the TD has already switched to use rapid nucleic acid tests at the BCPs. Starting from April 21, the sampling method for rapid nucleic acid tests has been further changed to nasopharyngeal swabs. A total of 2 243 rapid nucleic acid tests were conducted yesterday in which 15 drivers preliminarily tested positive. The TD has passed the cases to the Department of Health for follow-up.
 
     The THB will closely monitor the situation and co-operate with the Mainland authorities to facilitate and implement various measures to ensure a stable goods supply to Hong Kong, with a view to complementing the supply through road, water and railway transport, enhancing capacity and efficiency as well as optimising the flow of cross-boundary supplies. read more

East Asia

LCSD to reopen nine sports centres

     The Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) announced today (May 16) that nine sports centres managed by the LCSD will gradually reopen for public use starting from May 24 (Tuesday). These  venues were temporarily closed earlier for anti-epidemic purposes.
      
     Members of the public can reserve the fee-charging facilities of the following venues on the respective booking commencement dates via the Internet booking services of Leisure Link, counter bookings and self-service kiosks at venues already reopened, or via the Booking Offices of the District Leisure Services Offices during office hours:
 

Venue Reopening date Booking commencement date
Wo Hing Sports Centre
(Tel: 2669 7057)     		 May 24 May 18
Tsuen King Circuit Sports Centre
(Tel: 2405 6960)		 May 26 May 20
Fung Kam Street Sports Centre
(Tel: 2475 2334)		 May 27 May 21
Tai Kok Tsui Sports Centre
(Tel: 2393 1084)		 May 27 May 21
Shek Kip Mei Park Sports Centre
(Tel: 2784 7424)		 May 30 May 24
Tin Shui Wai Sports Centre
(Tel: 2446 4778)		 June 4 May 29
Yuen Chau Kok Sports Centre (Arena, Fitness Room and Activity Room) #
(Tel: 2509 9108)		 June 9 June 3
Kowloon Bay Sports Centre
(Tel: 2750 9539)		 June 13 June 7
Tsuen Wan Sports Centre
(Tel: 2392 9570)		 June 17 June 11
 
# Other facilities in the sports centre (including the indoor bowling green, table tennis room, children’s playroom and sport climbing wall) have been open to the public from April 21. read more

East Asia