Tag Archives: China

     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) said today (March 21) that it is investigating a confirmed Mpox (also known as Monkeypox) case, and urged the public to be vigilant and avoid close physical contact with persons suspected of contracting Mpox. Meanwhile, high-risk target groups are advised to receive Mpox vaccinations.

     The case involves a 35-year-old male with underlying illness. He developed skin ulcer, bleeding and fever on March 13, and attended the Wan Chai Male Social Hygiene Clinic of the DH on March 17. He is in stable condition, and is being arranged for treatment and isolation at Princess Margaret Hospital.

     An initial investigation revealed that he had a history of high-risk exposure in Hong Kong during the incubation period, but no epidemiological linkages have been established between this case and other confirmed cases previously recorded in Hong Kong. The CHP is continuing its epidemiological investigations of the case and will report the case to the World Health Organization.
     
     The CHP reminded the high-risk target groups to receive Mpox vaccinations in order to lower the risk of infection or the possibility of having more severe symptoms after infection. In addition, persons who experience Mpox symptoms (including rashes, fever, chills, swollen lymph nodes, exhaustion, muscle pain, and severe headaches) or suspect themselves of being infected are advised to seek medical attention and receive treatment at once. They should not engage in activities with others that may expose others to their skin rash or body fluids. Members of the public should maintain good personal and hand hygiene to prevent virus transmission or infection through contact. They should also avoid close physical contact with persons or animals suspected of being infected.

     The CHP has set up an Mpox telephone hotline (2125 2373), which operates from Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm, excluding public holidays. Those who suspect or are concerned that they may have had high-risk contact with confirmed cases, particularly men who have sex with men or those who have sexual practices with strangers, can use the hotline to make enquiries and receive relevant health advice.

     Furthermore, the DH provides vaccination services to high-risk groups of Mpox. The following high-risk target groups are eligible for Mpox vaccinations on a voluntary basis:
 

1. Individuals with high-risk sexual practices, e.g. having multiple sexual partners, sex workers, or having a history of sexually transmitted infection within the past 12 months;
2. Healthcare workers responsible for caring for patients with confirmed Mpox;
3. Laboratory personnel working with zoonotic pox viruses; and
4. Animal care personnel with high risk of exposure in case of Mpox occurrences in animals in Hong Kong.

     The high-risk target groups can receive Mpox walk-in vaccinations at any of the DH’s Social Hygiene Service Clinics (SocHS) (namely Chai Wan SocHS, Wan Chai Male SocHS, Wan Chai Female SocHS, Yau Ma Tei Male SocHS, Yau Ma Tei Female SocHS, Yung Fung Shee SocHS, Fanling SocHS and Tuen Mun SocHS) and the DH’s Yau Ma Tei Integrated Treatment Centre.
 
     Meanwhile, the DH’s Kowloon Bay Integrated Treatment Centre and the Hospital Authority’s Special Medical Clinics at Queen Elizabeth Hospital and Princess Margaret Hospital also provide Mpox vaccination services for their clients.
      
     For more details, please visit the CHP’s page on Mpox and Mpox Vaccination Programme. read more

     Following is the speech by the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Miss Rosanna Law, at the inauguration of the Lo Kwee Seong Pavilion and the Harold and Christina Lee Gallery of Art Museum, the Chinese University of Hong Kong and opening of “Transcending Transience: Art and Culture of Late Ming Jiangnan” exhibition today (March 21):
 
Vice-Chancellor and President of the CUHK (Chinese University of Hong Kong), Professor Dennis Lo, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
 
     Good afternoon. It is both a privilege and an honour for me to officiate at the inauguration ceremony of the Lo Kwee Seong Pavilion of the Art Museum of my alma mater. When I studied at the CUHK, I remembered that the Museum was a relatively small gallery entered through a beautiful courtyard with a pond and many koi fish in the centre of the campus. The phenomenal growth and expansion of the university’s Art Museum mirrors the extraordinary development of our city’s vibrant art scene.
      
     It is wonderful indeed to see many friends in the media with us today. Media attention has often centred on large cultural institutions, but boutique museums such as the CUHK Art Museum have also contributed significantly to the local art ecosystem by offering unique and thematic exhibitions and facilitating dialogues with museum professionals worldwide. On that note, I would like to acknowledge that the CUHK Art Museum will serve as a strategic partner for the Museum Summit to be held next week. I look forward to more fruitful and inspirational discussions on the development of museums at the upcoming Summit.
      
     For the benefit of our media here, I should also say a few words in Cantonese. So here it goes:
      
     å¤šå¹´ä¾†ï¼Œæˆ‘們é�žå¸¸æ¨‚見（香港）中文大學文物館的æŒ�續發展，å�Œæ™‚見證ç�€é¦™æ¸¯èº�å‹•æˆ�為中外文化è—�術交æµ�中心的歷程。今日，作為校å�‹ï¼Œé�žå¸¸æ¦®å¹¸å‡ºå¸­ä¸­å¤§æ–‡ç‰©é¤¨ç¾…桂祥閣å�Šåˆ©å­�和陸é›�群伉儷展覽廳的啓用典禮。中大文物館的æˆ�長，離ä¸�開中大å�Œä»�çš„æŒ�續努力，也離ä¸�開社會å�„界，特別今日在座å�„ä½�的支æŒ�和厚愛。在此，我å�‘香港中文大學為推動文化è—�術發展作出的貢ç�»è¡¨ç¤ºç”±è¡·æ•¬æ„�，å�Œæ™‚å�‘在座å�„ä½�以å�Šç¤¾æœƒå�„界的大力支æŒ�表示衷心感è¬�。
      
     åœ¨åœ‹å®¶ã€Šå��四五è¦�劃綱è¦�》的明確支æŒ�下，政府致力發展香港æˆ�為中外文化è—�術交æµ�中心。政府會在資æº�情æ³�許å�¯ä¹‹ä¸‹æŒ�續改善文化設施，為舉辦多元化的文化è—�術活動æ��供支æŒ�。舉例而言，æ�±ä¹�文化中心é �計將於今年內全é�¢å•“用，為市民和業界æ��供一個全新的表演場地。å�Œæ¨£åœ°ï¼Œæˆ‘相信日益完善的中大文物館亦將æˆ�為香港的ç�¨ç‰¹é­…力所在，å�¸å¼•æ›´å¤šé¦™æ¸¯å¸‚民和訪港旅客å�ƒè§€ï¼Œç‚ºå¤§å®¶æ��供富有特色的文化è—�術體驗。
      
     I hope that any students here – not only current students but also overseas exchange students and prospective college students – will cherish all the wonderful exhibitions and cultural artifacts that this Museum has to offer. I look forward to working more closely with the CUHK community to cultivate our art hub. I wish the CUHK Art Museum a bright future and the “Transcending Transience: Art and Culture of Late Ming Jiangnan” exhibition a resounding success. Thank you.
 
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     Police will implement special traffic arrangements in various districts during the Ching Ming Festival period to facilitate grave sweepers, and to ensure smooth vehicular traffic movements and pedestrian safety. Hong Kong Is… read more

     Twenty-one landlords of subdivided units (SDUs), who contravened Part IVA of the Landlord and Tenant (Consolidation) Ordinance (Cap. 7) (the Ordinance), pleaded guilty and were fined a total of $92,400 on March 14 and today (March 21) at the Eastern Magistrates’ Courts. Since the Ordinance came into force, the Rating and Valuation Department (RVD) has successfully prosecuted 634 cases involving a total of 543 SDU landlords, with fines ranging from $400 to $34,800, amounting to a total of $1,530,710.
 
     The offences of these 21 landlords include (1) failing to submit a Notice of Tenancy (Form AR2) to the Commissioner of Rating and Valuation within 60 days after the term of the regulated tenancy commenced; (2) failing to produce copies of the bills and provide an account in writing when requiring the tenant to pay for the reimbursement of the apportioned water and/or electricity charges; and (3) requesting the tenant to pay money other than the types permitted under the Ordinance (i.e. requiring the tenant to pay an amount of rent for the second-term tenancy exceeding the maximum amount of rent permitted under the Ordinance). One of the landlords committed 32 offences under (1) to (3) and was fined $29,600.

     The RVD earlier discovered that the landlords failed to comply with the relevant requirements under the Ordinance. Upon an in-depth investigation and evidence collection, the RVD prosecuted against the landlords.
 
     A spokesman for the RVD reiterated that SDU landlords must comply with the relevant requirements under the Ordinance, including prohibiting landlords from doing any act calculated to interfere with the peace or comfort of members of the tenant’s household, with the intention of causing the tenant to give up occupation of the SDU; or requiring the tenant to pay an amount of rent for the second-term tenancy exceeding the maximum amount of rent permitted under the Ordinance, and also reminded tenants of their rights under the Ordinance, including a four-year (i.e. two years plus two years) security of tenure. He also stressed that the RVD will continue to take resolute enforcement action against any contraventions of the Ordinance. Apart from following up on reported cases, the RVD has been adopting a multipronged approach to proactively identify, investigate and follow up on cases concerning landlords who are suspected of contravening the Ordinance. In particular, the RVD has been requiring landlords of regulated tenancies to provide information and reference documents of their tenancies for checking whether they have complied with the requirements of the Ordinance. If a landlord, without reasonable excuse, refuses to provide the relevant information or neglects the RVD’s request, the landlord commits an offence and is liable to a maximum fine at level 3 ($10,000) and to imprisonment for three months. Depending on the actual circumstances, and having regard to the information and evidence collected, the RVD will take appropriate actions on individual cases, including instigating prosecution against suspected contraventions of the Ordinance. In addition, the RVD has started a new round of publicity and education work to enhance public awareness about the key offences and penalty, emphasising that the RVD proactively checks whether landlords have committed the offences under the Ordinance. 

     To help curb illegal acts as soon as possible, members of the public should report to the RVD promptly any suspected cases of contravening the relevant requirements. Reporting can be made through the telephone hotline (2150 8303), by email (enquiries@rvd.gov.hk), by fax (2116 4920), by post (15/F, Cheung Sha Wan Government Offices, 303 Cheung Sha Wan Road, Kowloon), or in person (visiting the Tenancy Services Section office of the RVD at Room 3816-22, 38/F, Immigration Tower, 7 Gloucester Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong, and please call 2150 8303 to make an appointment). Furthermore, the RVD has provided a form (Form AR4) (www.rvd.gov.hk/doc/en/forms/ar4.pdf) on its website to facilitate SDU tenants’ reporting to the RVD.
 
     The RVD reminds that pursuant to the Ordinance, a regulated cycle of regulated tenancies is to comprise two consecutive regulated tenancies (i.e. the first-term tenancy and second-term tenancy) for an SDU, and the term of each regulated tenancy is two years. A tenant of a first-term tenancy for an SDU is entitled to be granted a second-term tenancy of the regulated cycle, thus enjoying a total of four years of security of tenure. The RVD has been issuing letters enclosing relevant information to the landlords and tenants concerned of regulated tenancies in batches, according to the expiry time of their first-term tenancies, to assist them in understanding the important matters pertaining to the second-term tenancy, and to remind them about the procedures that need to be followed about two months prior to the commencement of the purported second-term tenancy as well as their respective obligations and rights under the Ordinance. These landlords and tenants may also visit the dedicated page for the second-term tenancy on the RVD’s website (www.rvd.gov.hk/en/tenancy_matters/second_term_tenancy.html) for the relevant information, including a concise guide, brochures, tutorial videos and frequently asked questions. The landlords and tenants concerned are also advised to familiarise themselves with the relevant statutory requirements and maintain close communication regarding the second-term tenancy for handling the matters properly and in a timely manner according to the Ordinance.
 
     For enquiries related to regulated tenancies, please call the telephone hotline (2150 8303) or visit the RVD’s webpage (www.rvd.gov.hk/en/our_services/part_iva.html) for the relevant information. read more

     The Immigration Department (ImmD) carried out a repatriation operation today (March 21). A total of 18 Vietnamese illegal immigrants were repatriated to Vietnam. The persons removed comprised nine men and nine women, all of whom wer… read more