The Government today (December 30) announced adjustments to the measures for assisting foreign domestic helpers (FDHs) and their employers to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic. Extensio… read more
Hong Kong Customs yesterday (December 29) detected two cross-boundary drug trafficking cases consecutively through the air parcel channel at Hong Kong International Airport and seized a total of about 3.1 kilograms of suspected cannabis buds with an estimated market value of about $700,000. Four adolescents involved in the cases were arrested.
Customs officers yesterday inspected two air parcels, both declared as carrying clothes and Christmas decorations, that arrived from the United States. About 1.5kg and 1.6kg of suspected cannabis buds were seized respectively.
After follow-up investigation, Customs officers yesterday arrested three males, aged between 12 and 14, suspected to be connected with the first case at a residential premises in Tai Kok Tsui. Regarding another case, Customs officers also arrested a 16-year-old male suspected to be connected with the case at a residential premises in Kowloon City on the same day.
The four arrested males have declared themselves as students.
As the two parcels’ packing and concealment methods resembled each other to a large extent, Customs does not rule out that the two cases are connected and is now pursuing in-depth investigations.
Customs appeals to parents to keep an eye on their children’s friends in order to prevent children from taking part in drug trafficking activities under peer influence.
Customs also reminds members of the public to stay alert and not to participate in drug trafficking activities for monetary returns. They must not accept hiring or delegation from another party to carry controlled items in and out of Hong Kong. They are also reminded not to carry unknown items for other people, nor to release their personal data or home address to others for receiving parcels or goods.
Under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, trafficking in a dangerous drug is a serious offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $5 million and life imprisonment.
Under the Ordinance, cannabis and tetrahydro-cannabinol (THC) are classified as dangerous drugs. Importation of products (including food or drinks) containing cannabis or THC into Hong Kong is prohibited unless the relevant provisions in the Ordinance are complied with. In order to avoid breaching the law inadvertently, special attention should be paid to the packaging labels of those products.
Members of the public may report any suspected drug trafficking activities to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk).
The following press release is issued on behalf of the Independent Commission Against Corruption: ​The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) has learned that an Assistant Clerical Officer of the Administrat… read more
In view of the cold weather, the Home Affairs Department has opened 18 temporary shelters today (December 30) for people in need of the service.
The temporary shelters will remain open during the daytime tomorrow (December 31) when the cold weather warning is still in force.
To ensure that cold shelter users can rest in a quiet and undisturbed environment, members of the public or agencies wishing to make donations to shelter users are requested to register with the staff of the shelter first. Donors will then be directed to place the donated items at a specified indoor location. The staff will help notify the shelter users to collect the items on their own.
Anyone seeking temporary refuge or with any questions about the donation arrangements at the cold shelters may call the department’s hotline 2572 8427 for more information.
The 18 temporary cold shelters are located at:
Hong Kong Districts:
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Central and Western:
Sai Ying Pun Community Complex Community Hall
3/F, Sai Ying Pun Community Complex, 2 High Street, Sai Ying Pun
Eastern:
Causeway Bay Community Centre
3/F, 7 Fook Yum Road, Causeway Bay
Southern:
Lei Tung Community Hall
Lei Tung Estate, Ap Lei Chau
Wan Chai:
Wan Chai Activities Centre
LG/F, Wan Chai Market, 258 Queen’s Road East, Wan Chai
Kowloon Districts:
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Kowloon City:
Hung Hom Community Hall
1/F, Kowloon City Government Offices, 42 Bailey Street, Hung Hom
Kwun Tong:
Lam Tin (West) Estate Community Centre
71 Kai Tin Road, Lam Tin
Sham Shui Po:
Nam Cheong District Community Centre
1 Cheong San Lane, Sham Shui Po
Wong Tai Sin:
Tsz Wan Shan (South) Estate Community Centre
45 Wan Wah Street, Tsz Wan Shan
Yau Tsim Mong:
Henry G Leong Yaumatei Community Centre
60 Public Square Street, Yau Ma Tei
New Territories:
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Islands:
Tung Chung Community Hall
G/F, Tung Chung Municipal Services Building
39 Man Tung Road, Tung Chung
Kwai Tsing:
Tai Wo Hau Estate Community Centre
15 Tai Wo Hau Road, Kwai Chung
North:
Cheung Wah Community Hall
Cheung Wah Estate, Fanling
Sai Kung:
King Lam Neighbourhood Community Centre
King Lam Estate, Tseung Kwan O
Sha Tin:
Lung Hang Estate Community Centre
Lung Hang Estate, Sha Tin
Tai Po:
Tai Po Community Centre
2 Heung Sze Wui Street, Tai Po
Tsuen Wan:
Lei Muk Shue Community Hall
G/F, Hong Shue House, Lei Muk Shue Estate, Tsuen Wan
Tuen Mun:
Butterfly Bay Community Centre
Butterfly Estate (near Tip Sum House), Tuen Mun
Yuen Long:
Long Ping Community Hall
Long Ping Estate, Yuen Long read more
The Department of Health (DH) announced today (December 30) that Hong Kong residents born in the years between 1945 and 1971 are eligible to enrol in the Colorectal Cancer Screening Programme (CRCSP) from January 1, 2021.
The CRCSP was implemented as a pilot in 2016, regularised in 2018 and fully implemented in 2020 to subsidise asymptomatic Hong Kong residents aged between 50 and 75 to undergo screening tests every two years in the private sector for prevention of colorectal cancer. The years of birth of eligible persons are updated at the beginning of each year.
Under the programme, participants should attend a medical consultation provided by an enrolled primary care doctor (PCD) and receive a Faecal Immunochemical Test (FIT) screening arranged by the PCD. If the FIT result is positive, the participant will be referred to an enrolled colonoscopy specialist to receive a colonoscopy examination subsidised by the Government. If the FIT result is negative, the participant is advised to repeat the screening two years later.
Since the launch of the CRCSP, more than 209 000 eligible persons have participated and received a FIT screening.
On screening outcomes, as of September 27 this year, among those participants who had submitted FIT tube samples with analysable results, about 24 430 persons (13.0 per cent) had positive results in the first round of screening and around 2 890 persons (10.7 per cent) had positive results in the second round of screening. Among those FIT-positive participants who underwent a colonoscopy examination, about 15 200 persons (64.4 per cent) had colorectal adenomas and around 1 480 persons had colorectal cancer (6.3 per cent).
A spokesman for the DH said that screenings can identify people who have colorectal cancer before they present with symptoms, or those with higher risk of colorectal cancer, and enable them to receive early treatment, thus significantly improve the prognosis. And with colorectal adenoma removed in the course of a colonoscopy, these lesions are also prevented from turning into cancer.
A preliminary analysis of 968 colorectal cancer cases diagnosed under the CRCSP also revealed that about 60 per cent of these cases belonged to earlier stages, thus having a more favourable prognosis.
Colorectal cancer is the most common cancer locally. In 2018, there were 5 634 newly diagnosed colorectal cancer cases, accounting for 16.6 per cent of new cancer cases. Colorectal cancer is also the second most common cause of cancer death after lung cancer in Hong Kong. In 2019, colorectal cancer led to 2 174 deaths, accounting for 14.6 per cent of all cancer deaths.
There is no quota for participants under the CRCSP and it is heavily subsidised by the Government. A government subsidy of $280 per consultation applies, including the second consultation to follow up on a positive FIT test result. Under the standard colonoscopy service package targeted at FIT-positive participants, the subsidy amount is $8,500 if polyp removal is necessary, whereas the amount is $7,800 if no polyp removal is needed. Colonoscopy specialists may charge a co-payment not exceeding $1,000 when providing the standard colonoscopy examination service.
　　
Currently, more than 860 primary care doctors have successfully enrolled in the CRCSP covering about 1 360 locations, and about 97 per cent of these locations will not charge any additional payment for the screening.
About 210 colonoscopy specialists have also joined the CRCSP to provide colonoscopy examination services at about 560 service locations. If no polyp removal is necessary, about 86 per cent of these locations will not require additional charges. If polyp removal is needed, about 74 per cent of these locations will not require additional charges.
The spokesman called on eligible persons to join the CRCSP as soon as possible, and prevent colorectal cancer by leading a healthy lifestyle and having well-organised screenings.
Eligible persons who are interested to join the CRCSP should enrol in the Electronic Health Record Sharing System (eHRSS). Please refer to the eHRSS website at www.ehealth.gov.hk or call the Registration Office at 3467 6300 for details.
For more information on the CRCSP, please visit the DH’s thematic website www.colonscreen.gov.hk or call the dedicated hotline (3565 6288) during office hours. read more