The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     As at 9am today (June 3), one COVID-19 confirmed patient (case number: 11838) was discharged from hospital in the last 24 hours. So far, a total of 11 577 patients with confirmed or probable infection have been discharged.
 
     At present, there are 619 negative pressure rooms in public hospitals with 1 130 negative pressure beds activated. A total of 31 confirmed patients are currently hospitalised in 13 public hospitals and the North Lantau Hospital Hong Kong Infection Control Centre, among which one patient (case number: 6794) is in critical condition, one (case number: 9907) is in serious condition and the remaining 29 patients are in stable condition.
 
     The Hospital Authority will maintain close contact with the Centre for Health Protection to monitor the latest developments and to inform the public and healthcare workers on the latest information in a timely manner.

     The Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) today (June 3) released the statistics on vessels, port cargo and containers for the first quarter of 2021.
 
     In the first quarter of 2021, total port cargo throughput decreased by 14.0% compared with the first quarter of 2020 to 49.2 million tonnes. Within this total, inward port cargo and outward port cargo decreased by 18.1% and 5.1% compared with the first quarter of 2020 to 31.9 million tonnes and 17.2 million tonnes respectively.
 
     On a seasonally adjusted quarter-to-quarter comparison, total port cargo throughput decreased by 9.4% in the first quarter of 2021. Within this total, inward port cargo and outward port cargo decreased by 10.9% and 6.6% respectively compared with the preceding quarter. The seasonally adjusted series enables more meaningful shorter-term comparison to be made for discerning possible variations in trends.
 
Port cargo
  
     Within port cargo, seaborne and river cargo decreased by 4.1% and 30.3% in the first quarter of 2021 compared with the first quarter of 2020 to 34.2 million tonnes and 15.0 million tonnes respectively.
 
     Within inward port cargo, imports and inward transhipment decreased by 26.3% and 4.3% in the first quarter of 2021 compared with the first quarter of 2020 to 18.0 million tonnes and 13.9 million tonnes respectively. For outward port cargo, exports (including domestic exports and re-exports) and outward transhipment decreased by 2.2% and 5.9% in the first quarter of 2021 compared with the first quarter of 2020 to 4.2 million tonnes and 13.1 million tonnes respectively.
 
     The detailed port cargo statistics are summarised in Table 1.
 
     The main countries/territories of loading of inward port cargo and countries/territories of discharge of outward port cargo are shown in Table 2 and Table 3 respectively.
 
     Comparing the first quarter of 2021 with the first quarter of 2020, double-digit increases were recorded in the tonnage of inward port cargo loaded in Indonesia (+89.3%), Vietnam (+19.0%) and Singapore (+12.1%). On the other hand, double-digit decreases were recorded in the tonnage of inward port cargo loaded in Taiwan (-70.8%), Korea (-26.6%), the mainland of China (-24.8%) and the United States of America (-18.5%). For outward port cargo, double-digit increases were recorded in the tonnage of outward port cargo discharged in Korea (+44.3%), Macao (+33.7%), Taiwan (+13.8%) and Vietnam (+10.3%). On the other hand, double-digit decreases were recorded in the tonnage of outward port cargo discharged in the mainland of China (-19.8%) and Thailand (-14.7%).
 
     The principal commodities of inward port cargo and outward port cargo are shown in Table 4 and Table 5 respectively.
 
     Comparing the first quarter of 2021 with the first quarter of 2020, triple-digit or double-digit changes were recorded in the tonnage of inward port cargo of "coal, coke and briquettes" (+129.1%), "iron and steel" (+39.5%), "petroleum, petroleum products and related materials" (-28.3%) and "stone, sand and gravel" (-51.4%). As for outward port cargo, double-digit decreases were recorded in the tonnage of "logs and timber; wood, simply worked" (-32.0%), "pulp and waste paper" (-24.9%) and "artificial resins and plastic materials" (-16.3%).
 
Containers
 
     In the first quarter of 2021, the port of Hong Kong handled 4.11 million TEUs of containers, representing an increase of 0.3% compared with the first quarter of 2020. Within this total, laden containers decreased by 1.7% to 3.37 million TEUs, while empty containers increased by 10.6% to 0.75 million TEUs. Among laden containers, inward and outward containers decreased by 1.3% and 2.1% to 1.77 million TEUs and 1.59 million TEUs respectively.
 
     On a seasonally adjusted quarter-to-quarter comparison, laden container throughput decreased by 6.4% in the first quarter of 2021. Within this total, inward and outward laden containers decreased by 6.3% and 6.5% respectively.
 
     In the first quarter of 2021, seaborne laden containers increased by 10.1% compared with the first quarter of 2020 to 2.62 million TEUs, while river laden containers decreased by 28.5% to 0.75 million TEUs.
 
     Within inward laden containers, imports and inward transhipment decreased by 1.6% and 1.2% in the first quarter of 2021 compared with the first quarter of 2020 to 0.51 million TEUs and 1.26 million TEUs respectively. For outward laden containers, exports and outward transhipment decreased by 3.5% and 1.6% in the first quarter of 2021 compared with the first quarter of 2020 to 0.39 million TEUs and 1.20 million TEUs respectively.
 
     The detailed container statistics are summarised in Table 6.
 
     Port cargo and laden container statistics are compiled from a sample of consignments listed in the cargo manifests supplied by shipping companies and agents to the C&SD.
 
Vessel arrivals
 
     Comparing the first quarter of 2021 with the first quarter of 2020, the number of ocean vessel arrivals decreased by 37.5% to 3 852, with the total capacity also decreasing by 40.8% to 58.7 million net tons. Meanwhile, the number of river vessel arrivals decreased by 48.4% to 10 208, with the total capacity also decreasing by 49.7% to 12.0 million net tons.
 
     The statistics on vessel arrivals in Hong Kong are given in Table 7.
 
     Vessel statistics are compiled by the Marine Department primarily from general declarations submitted by ship masters and authorised shipping agents. Pleasure vessels and fishing vessels plying exclusively within the river trade limits are excluded.
 
Further information
 
     More detailed statistics on port cargo, containers and vessels are published in the report "Hong Kong Shipping Statistics, First Quarter 2021". Users can download this publication at the website of the C&SD (www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/EIndexbySubject.html?pcode=B1020008&scode=230).
 
     For enquiries about port cargo and container statistics, please contact the Outward Processing and Shipping Statistics Section of the C&SD (Tel: 2582 2126 or email: shipping@censtatd.gov.hk). For enquiries about vessel statistics, readers may contact the Statistics Section under the Planning, Development and Port Security Branch of the Marine Department (Tel: 2852 3662 or email: st-sec@mardep.gov.hk).

     The effective exchange rate index for the Hong Kong dollar on Thursday, June 3, 2021 is 100.4 (same as yesterday's index).

     The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today (June 3) announced that the test results of 46 rice dumpling samples collected under a recently completed seasonal food surveillance project on rice dumplings (second phase) were all satisfactory.
 
     "The CFS announced the results of the seasonal food surveillance project on rice dumplings (first phase) near the end of last month. With the Tuen Ng Festival around the corner, the CFS has completed the second phase of the surveillance project. In conclusion, samples of rice dumplings from different food premises including restaurants, food factories and other retail outlets (including online retailers) were collected for chemical, microbiological and nutrition content analyses. The chemical analyses included tests for colouring matters, preservatives, metallic contamination, mineral oil, antioxidants, sweeteners and pesticides. The microbiological analyses covered pathogenic bacteria including Salmonella, coagulase-positive staphylococci organisms, Clostridium perfringens and Bacillus cereus. In addition, nutrition contents such as energy value, protein, carbohydrates, total fat, saturated fatty acids, trans fatty acids, sodium and sugars of the samples were also tested to check whether the test results complied with their declared values on the nutrition labels," a spokesman for the CFS said.
 
     The spokesman reminded members of the public to observe the following food safety tips in purchasing, preparing, storing and consuming rice dumplings:
 
Buying rice dumplings
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* Buy rice dumplings from reliable outlets;
* When purchasing non-prepackaged rice dumplings, choose those that are securely wrapped in wrapping leaves; and
* When purchasing prepackaged rice dumplings, check the expiry date and whether the packaging is intact.
 
Home-made rice dumplings
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* Buy wrapping leaves from reliable suppliers and avoid leaves that are unnaturally bright green or with chemical smells;
* Wash hands and utensils thoroughly before and after handling food; and
* Handle raw and cooked food separately to avoid cross-contamination.
 
Storing and preparing rice dumplings
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* Consume rice dumplings as soon as possible and avoid prolonged storage;
* Store rice dumplings at 4 degrees Celsius or below, or store them properly according to the instructions on the package if they are not consumed or cooked immediately;
* Keep cooked rice dumplings that are not consumed immediately in a covered container and put them in the upper compartment of the refrigerator. Keep raw food in the lower compartment to prevent cross-contamination;
* Reheat rice dumplings thoroughly until the core temperature reaches 75 degrees Celsius or above before consumption;
* Do not reheat rice dumplings more than once; and
* Consume reheated rice dumplings as soon as possible.
 
Consuming rice dumplings
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* Wash hands with running water and liquid soap, and rub for at least 20 seconds before consumption; and
* Reduce seasonings such as soy sauce or granulated sugar during consumption.
 
     The spokesman said, "Rice dumplings in general are relatively high in energy, fat and salt. During the festival, people should maintain a balanced diet, and consume rice dumplings moderately, with due consideration of their health condition. People are recommended to share rice dumplings with their family members and friends, as this not only enhances the festive atmosphere, but also allows them to taste rice dumplings of different flavours and avoid over-consumption. People are also advised to make use of nutrition labels on prepackaged food to compare their nutritional contents for healthier food choices."
 
     The spokesman also reminded food manufacturers to purchase food ingredients from reliable suppliers, adhere to Good Manufacturing Practice for preparation of food products and comply with legal requirements when using food additives.

     The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (June 3) that in view of a notification from the General Veterinary Inspectorate of Poland about an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N8 avian influenza in Prudnicki District of Opolskie Region in Poland, the CFS has instructed the trade to suspend the import of poultry meat and products (including poultry eggs) from the above-mentioned area with immediate effect to protect public health in Hong Kong.

     A CFS spokesman said that according to the Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong imported about 2 920 tonnes of frozen poultry meat and about 12.06 million poultry eggs from Poland in the first three months of this year.

     "The CFS has contacted the Polish authority over the issue and will closely monitor information issued by the World Organisation for Animal Health and the relevant authorities on the avian influenza outbreak. Appropriate action will be taken in response to the development of the situation," the spokesman said.