Tag Archives: China

     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:
——————–

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:
——————

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:
—————-

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 following is issued on behalf of the University Grants Committee:        The Research Grants Council (RGC) announced today (December 30) the funding results of the Areas of Excellence (AoE) Scheme 2020/21 (Ninth Round). F… 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

The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:

     The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) has completed its annual assessment of the list of Domestic Systemically Important Authorized Institutions (D-SIBs). Based on the assessment results, the list of authorised institutions designated as D-SIBs remains unchanged compared to the list of D-SIBs published by the HKMA on December 24, 2019. The latest list of D-SIBs is shown in the Annex.
 
     Under the D-SIB framework, each of the authorised institutions designated as a D-SIB will be required to include a Higher Loss Absorbency (HLA) requirement into the calculation of their regulatory capital buffers within a period of 12 months after the formal notification of its designation. The HLA requirement applicable to a D-SIB (expressed as a ratio of an authorised institution’s Common Equity Tier 1 capital to its risk-weighted assets as calculated under the Banking (Capital) Rules) ranges between 1 per cent and 3.5 per cent (depending on the assessed level of the D-SIB’s systemic importance). Compared to the list of D-SIBs published on December 24, 2019, there is no change to the HLA requirements applied to the designated D-SIBs. 
 
     Further details about the decision can be found on the HKMA website (Systemically Important Authorized Institutions (SIBs)).
 
Background
 
(1) D-SIB framework in Hong Kong
 
     The Banking (Capital) Rules and the HKMA’s regulatory framework for D-SIBs follow the provisions in “A framework for dealing with domestic systemically important banks” issued by the Basel Committee in October 2012, by enabling the Monetary Authority (i) to designate an authorised institution as a D-SIB if the Monetary Authority considers the authorised institution to be of systemic importance in the context of the Hong Kong banking and financial system and (ii) to require an authorised institution designated as a D-SIB to be subject to an HLA capital buffer.
 
     The rationale for imposing an HLA requirement on D-SIBs is to reduce any probability of them becoming non-viable. This is considered both prudent and justified in view of the greater impact that they could have, in the unlikely event of their failure, on the domestic financial system and the local economy more broadly. 
 
(2) HLA requirement for authorised institutions designated as D-SIBs
 
     The Monetary Authority is empowered under sections 3U and 3V of the Banking (Capital) Rules to designate D-SIBs and to determine an HLA requirement for each of these D-SIBs by reference to the degree of domestic systemic importance which the Monetary Authority assesses them to bear. To achieve this aim, the HKMA’s regulatory framework for D-SIBs provides for authorised institutions designated as D-SIBs to be allocated to different HLA “buckets”. This differentiated approach reflects the diversified nature and varying degrees of systemic importance of authorised institutions in Hong Kong.
 
     The designated D-SIBs must apply the HLA in the calculation of their regulatory capital buffers within 12 months of the formal notification of their designation. There are five HLA buckets in total ranging from 1 per cent to 3.5 per cent. While only the first four buckets (i.e. from 1 per cent to 2.5 per cent) have been populated so far, the framework includes an empty 3.5 per cent bucket to encourage D-SIBs to refrain from becoming even more systemically important.  
 
     The HLA applied to a D-SIB serves (together with the Countercyclical Capital Buffer) as an extension of the Basel III Capital Conservation Buffer. Accordingly, if and when a D-SIB’s CET1 capital ratio falls within the extended buffer range, the D-SIB will be subject to restrictions on the discretionary distributions it may make. The effect of this is that D-SIBs will be required to retain earnings in order to bolster their regulatory capital. read more

     Police will implement special traffic arrangements at Lan Kwai Fong, Central between December 31, 2020 and January 1, 2021 to ensure smooth traffic flow and public safety.

A. Road closure and traffic diversion

Phase I (From 2pm on December 31 to 6am the following day)

– D’Aguilar Street between Wyndham Street and Stanley Street;
– Lan Kwai Fong;
– Wing Wah Lane;
– Wo On Lane;
– Wellington Street between Wyndham Street and D’Aguilar Street; and
– On Lan Street.

Phase II (From any time after 4pm on December 31)

– D’Aguilar Street between Queen’s Road Central and Wellington Street;
– Wyndham Street between Glenealy and Queen’s Road Central;
– Stanley Street between D’Aguilar Street and Cochrane Street;
– Wellington Street between D’Aguilar Street and Cochrane Street;
– Cochrane Street between Wellington Street and Stanley Street;
– Queen’s Road Central between Pedder Street and Pottinger Street; and
– Lyndhurst Terrace.

     If necessary, the whole section of D’Aguilar Street will be closed.

B. Suspension of parking spaces

     All on-street parking spaces on the following streets will be suspended from 1pm on December 31 to 6am the following day:

– Stanley Street near D’Aguilar Street;
– Wyndham Street between Arbuthnot Road and D’Aguilar Street; and
– On Lan Street.

     Any vehicle found illegally parked within the precincts mentioned above will be towed away without prior notice.

     Actual implementation of the traffic arrangements will be made depending on the prevailing conditions in the area. Members of the public are advised to exercise tolerance and patience and take heed of instructions of the Police on site. read more