Tag Archives: China

     Hong Kong Customs and the Police today (June 3) conducted a joint operation to combat the illegal import of strategic commodities. A batch of strategic commodities, including 14 gas masks and eight filter canisters, suspected to be imported without a valid licence was seized in Tai Po and Tai Wai. Two persons were arrested.

     Law enforcement agencies earlier received information alleging the sale of suspected illegally imported strategic commodities on the Internet. After investigation, Customs and the Police conducted a joint enforcement operation today and seized a batch of strategic commodities suspected to be imported without a valid licence, including 12 gas masks and seven filter canisters, at a residential unit in Tai Po. A 27-year-old man suspected to be connected with the case was arrested. Police also seized seven imitation firearms and two walkie-talkies in the unit and follow-up action will be taken.

     Later, law enforcement agencies arrested a 14-year-old male suspected to be in connection with the case in Tai Wai and seized two gas masks as well as one filter canister in his possession.

     Investigation is ongoing. The two arrested persons have been released on bail pending further investigation and the likelihood of further arrests is not excluded.

     Customs reminds members of the public, and youths in particular, to abide by the law. Under the Import and Export Ordinance (IEO), any person who imports or exports gas masks, filter canisters or helmets in the control list of strategic commodities under the Import and Export (Strategic Commodities) Regulations without a valid import or export licence commits an offence and is liable to an unlimited fine and to imprisonment for seven years on conviction.

     Members of the public may report any suspected violation of the IEO to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk).

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     â€‹The Home Affairs Department (HAD) today (June 3) made the following statement in response to some District Council (DC) members promoting unauthorised public assemblies. 

     The HAD received complaints stating that some DC members conducted activities which are unrelated to DC duties, damaging to community harmony and possibly in breach of the laws of Hong Kong. These activities include, but are not limited to, distributing materials and conducting publicity to encourage and facilitate members of the public to participate in unauthorised public assemblies. 

     According to section 3 of General Standards of the Code of Conduct for Members of a District Council or Its Committees (Code of Conduct), a DC member shall conduct himself or herself in such a way as not to place himself or herself in a position which may be contrary to the generally assumed standard of conduct expected of a DC member. When deciding whether to engage in any activities, a DC member shall accord due consideration as to whether the nature and contents of such activities might be regarded as not in keeping with the position or prestige of a DC member and thereby bringing the Council into disrepute. Section 7(a) of Specific Standards of the Code of Conduct also stipulates that a DC member shall not use the various allowances for a member and/or his or her ward office(s) for purposes other than those connected with the business of the DC. 

     Furthermore, paragraph 23 of the Guidelines on the Remuneration Package for Members of the District Councils of the HKSAR (Remuneration Guidelines) stipulates that a DC member must ensure that the ward office operated with the support of the Operating Expenses Reimbursement and other accountable allowances/expenses reimbursements for DC members is used for the discharge of DC duties. The daily operation of the ward office of a DC member should comply with all relevant statutory provisions and guidelines issued by the relevant Government departments, professional groups or social service organisations. All expenses not complying with the Remuneration Guidelines or for discharging duties unrelated to the DC will not be reimbursed. 

     In view of the above, the HAD issued letters to remind individual DC members to comply with the Code of Conduct and the Remuneration Guidelines. If there is proof that a DC member’s ward office was used for duties not related to the DC, the related remuneration and ward office operating expenses will not be reimbursed. The DC member may also bear criminal liability when other legislations are breached.  read more

     As persons who resided or worked within the same building as the residence of local COVID-19 cases with the N501Y mutant strain will be subject to compulsory testing on the third, seventh, 12th and 19th day following the announcement of the relevant confirmed cases by the Department of Health (DH), the Government will set up a mobile specimen collection station at Island Harbourview in Tai Kok Tsui tomorrow (June 4) to provide free testing service for residents and workers of Island Harbourview subject to compulsory testing. 
 
     The Government spokesman reminded that under the social distancing measures, the following persons must undergo regular testing using combined nasal and throat swabs, instead of deep throat saliva specimens self-collected with specimen collection packs:
 

• staff of catering businesses operating under Type B Mode of Operation who have to undergo a nucleic acid test every 14 days (or as alternative, complete a COVID-19 vaccination course);

 

• staff of catering businesses operating under Types C and D Mode of Operation and staff of six types of re-opened premises (namely bars or pubs; bathhouses; party rooms; clubs or nightclubs; karaoke establishments; and mahjong-tin kau premises) who have to undergo a nucleic acid test every seven days due to being unfit to receive COVID-19 vaccination because of health reasons; and

 

• working staff accompanying and receiving local group tours (including tourist guides, tour escorts, staff seeing off the groups, drivers of chartered tour coaches and crew of chartered ferries) who have to undergo a nucleic acid test every seven days/within seven days prior to receiving the relevant group tours due to being unfit to receive COVID-19 vaccination because of health reasons.

 
     Currently, there are a total of 21 CTCs providing testing service for the public, including free service for persons subject to compulsory testing. Booking and walk-in services are available. Members of the public only need to provide simple personal information on the 24-hour booking system (www.communitytest.gov.hk/en). The system was enhanced to show the booking status of the CTCs for the coming two weeks to facilitate public’s planning and selection of suitable testing centre and time slot for testing. The CTCs will accord priority to serve individuals with advance bookings. The number of tests available for appointments at CTCs has been increased to over 46 000 per day, and additional manpower has been deployed to serve the public. As of 6pm today (June 3), there are around 34 000 booking places available for tomorrow at the CTCs, and around 86 per cent and 91 per cent booking places for the coming seven days and 14 days respectively. Members of the public may call the testing centres for enquiries on the availability of bookings or walk-in quotas before visiting the centres.
 
     Coupled with the 21 CTCs, there will be a total of 37 CTCs/mobile specimen collection stations in various districts tomorrow to provide free service for persons subject to compulsory testing. The testing capacity should be sufficient to meet the demand. The opening dates and operating hours of the mobile specimen collection stations in various districts providing free COVID-19 nucleic acid testing services for the general public are stated in Annex. Persons subject to testing (including staff of catering businesses and scheduled premises), and those with “LeaveHomeSafe” COVID-19 exposure notification or SMS notification from the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) reminding them to undergo testing as soon as possible may receive free testing at CTCs or mobile specimen collection stations (if the service scope is applicable).
 
     People whose test results are negative will be informed by SMS message through their mobile phones. Persons subject to compulsory testing must properly keep the relevant records. If any specimen tested shows a preliminarily positive COVID-19 result, the specimen will be referred to the Public Health Laboratory Services Branch of the DH for a confirmatory test. Confirmed cases will be followed up and announced by the CHP.
 
     The Government reminds the public that they can undergo COVID-19 testing through various means. For details, please refer to the following webpage: www.coronavirus.gov.hk/eng/early-testing.html. If a person has symptoms, he or she should seek medical attention immediately and should not attend the mobile specimen collection stations or CTCs. The Government calls on the public and organisations to refrain from collecting more sets of packs than needed or making a profit through resale, so that others in need can also obtain specimen collection packs for testing. The Government will continue to closely monitor the number of specimen collection packs distributed and collected.
 
     The spokesman urges all individuals who are in doubt about their own health conditions, or individuals with infection risks (such as individuals who visited places with epidemic outbreaks or contacted confirmed cases) to undergo testing promptly for early identification of infected persons. read more

     The COVID-19 Vaccination Programme has been implemented for 98 days since February 26, 2021.        So far, about 2 502 600 doses of vaccines have been administered under the Vaccination Programme. Details… read more

     Hong Kong Customs today (June 3) arrested a male director, a female tutor and a female salesperson of a tutorial centre suspected of having made false claims on the tutorial services they provided, in contravention of the Trade Descriptions Ordinance (TDO).

     Customs earlier received information alleging that staff members of a tutorial centre in Kowloon City used promotion materials with false claims in the course of sale of tutorials and claimed that a tutor has acquired a bachelor’s degree from a local university and obtained specified outstanding results in public examinations.

     After investigation, it was revealed that the tutor did not hold the said bachelor’s degree and her public examination results did not conform with the claims. Customs officers conducted an operation today and arrested one man and two women, aged between 29 and 38.

     Investigation is ongoing and the arrested persons have been released on bail pending further investigation.

     Customs reminds traders to comply with the requirements of the TDO. Consumers should also procure services at reputable traders and inquire about the service details before making a transactional decision.

     Under the TDO, any trader who applies a false trade description to a service supplied to a consumer commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $500,000 and imprisonment for five years.

     â€‹Members of the public may report any suspected violations of the TDO to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk). read more