The following is issued on behalf of the Legislative Council Secretariat:
 
     The Legislative Council (LegCo) will hold a meeting on Wednesday (May 12) at 11am in the Chamber of the LegCo Complex. During the meeting, the Second Reading debate on the Public Offices (Candidacy and Taking Up Offices) (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill 2021 will resume. If the Bill is supported by Members and receives its Second Reading, it will stand committed to the committee of the whole Council. After the committee of the whole Council has completed consideration of the Bill and its report is adopted by the Council, the Bill will be set down for the Third Reading.
 
     On Government motion, the Secretary for Development will move a proposed resolution under the Buildings Ordinance. The proposed resolution is set out in Appendix 1.
 
     On Members' motions, Dr Chiang Lai-wan will move a proposed resolution under section 34(4) of the Interpretation and General Clauses Ordinance to extend the period for amending the Prevention and Control of Disease (Requirements and Directions) (Business and Premises) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulation 2021 and the Prevention and Control of Disease (Prohibition on Group Gathering) (Amendment) (No. 3) Regulation 2021, laid on the table of LegCo on April 28, 2021, to the meeting of June 16, 2021.
 
     Mr Lau Kwok-fan will move a motion on driving the development of New Territories North with port economy. The motion is set out in Appendix 2. Mr Yiu Si-wing will move an amendment to Mr Lau Kwok-fan's motion.
 
     Dr Chiang Lai-wan will move a motion on setting up a New Generation Fund to help the new generation in Hong Kong plan for the future. The motion is set out in Appendix 3. 
 
     During the meeting, Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, Mr Abraham Shek, will present the "Supplemental Report of the Public Accounts Committee on Report No. 75 of the Director of Audit on the Results of Value for Money Audits" and address the Council.
 
     In addition, Members will also ask the Government 22 questions on various policy areas, six of which require oral replies.
 
     The agenda of the above meeting can be obtained via the LegCo Website (www.legco.gov.hk). Members of the public can watch or listen to the meeting via the "Webcast" system on the LegCo Website. To observe the proceedings of the meeting at the LegCo Complex, members of the public may call 3919 3399 during office hours to reserve seats.

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     Regarding an earlier announcement on a cluster of patients confirmed to be carriers of Multi-drug Resistant Acinetobacter (MDRA) in medical wards, the spokesperson for Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital gave the following update today (May 10):
 
     In accordance with the prevailing guidelines, the hospital commenced contact tracing and confirmed one more patient of a medical ward, a 56-year-old male, as a carrier of MDRA. The patient has been transferred to Tung Wah Eastern Hospital and is currently under medical surveillance and isolation treatment with stable condition.
 
     Following the activation of the Emergency Response Level in public hospitals, the visiting arrangement for wards has been suspended. The following infection control measures have been stepped up according to the established guidelines:
 
1. Enhanced cleaning and disinfection of the wards concerned;
2. Application of stringent contact precautions and enhanced hand hygiene for staff and patients; and
3. Enhanced patient and environmental screening procedures.
 
     The hospital will continue to closely monitor the situation in the wards concerned. The case has been reported to the Hospital Authority Head Office and the Centre for Health Protection for necessary follow-up.

     To ride on the successful collaboration with the Hong Kong Museum of Art (HKMoA) for the "Hong Kong Museums Collection" series last year, Hongkong Post will launch a special stamp issue and associated philatelic products with the theme "Hong Kong Museums Collection – 19th Century China Trade Paintings" on May 25 (Tuesday) with the HKMoA. This issue includes a set of six stamps and two stamp sheetlets, showcasing people's lives and customs as well as the landscapes of Guangzhou and Hong Kong, where merchants converged in the 19th century, enabling stamp lovers to have a glimpse of these scenes in miniature. 

     The genre of China trade paintings emerged in Canton (present day Guangzhou), a city where foreign merchants converged in the 18th and 19th centuries. After noticing a demand for these paintings in the West, some painters began to set up studios and workshops creating paintings using Western art techniques. These paintings featured the local customs, lifestyle, landscapes and scenery, which attracted admirers in Europe and America. Large amounts of trade paintings were exported due to their huge popularity. In addition, Canton and Hong Kong were popular shopping paradises for travellers. All sorts of goods were sold on the shopping streets ranging from handicrafts and retail tea leaves to local products and alcohol. Trade paintings captured the thriving and diverse scenes of the economic market and consumer activities at the time, while the paintings themselves were also purchased frequently by visitors.

     The first day cover features the art piece "Porcelain shop, Canton" on the $3.40 stamp. The porcelain shop is intricately illustrated against a pale green background, giving a sense of freshness and elegance. The two collector covers, which are not for sale separately but included exclusively in the collector pack, feature the art pieces "Queen's Road looking east from Canton Bazaar" and "Production of ceramics: packing in barrels" on the $2 and $3.70 stamps respectively. The collector covers adopt a plain and simple design, spicing up a strong historical ambience that also helps to set off the stamp contents in bold colours, making them precious collectables not to be missed.

     The most anticipated item is the collector pack, which comes with treasured contents. It not only includes a set of six stamps, a $10 stamp sheetlet, a $20 stamp sheetlet, a serviced first day cover and two serviced collector covers, but also shows the original paintings in their entirety. This allows stamp lovers to appreciate the delicacy of these masterpieces.

     This set of special stamps and associated philatelic products, including a first day cover, mint stamps, stamp sheetlets, a presentation pack, a mini-pane, a collector pack, postage paid picture cards and serviced first day covers, will be on sale at post offices from May 25. 

     Information about this special stamp issue and associated philatelic products are available on the Hongkong Post Stamps website (stamps.hongkongpost.hk) and the Hongkong Post mobile app.

              

     Well Tech Engineering & Construction Company Limited was fined $85,000 at Kowloon City Magistrates' Courts today (May 10) for violation of the Factories and Industrial Undertakings Ordinance and the Factories and Industrial Undertakings (Safety Management) Regulation. The prosecutions were launched by the Labour Department.
 
     The case involved a fatal accident that occurred on July 21, 2020, at a tunnel under construction in Kowloon Bay. While a team of workers was working on a reinforcement bar structure on the site, the structure suddenly collapsed, causing the workers to fall together with the collapsing structure. As a result, one worker died and six workers sustained injuries.

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     As at 9am today (May 10), three COVID-19 confirmed patients were discharged from hospital in the last 24 hours. So far, a total of 11 496 patients with confirmed or probable infection have been discharged.
 
     At present, there are 616 negative pressure rooms in public hospitals with 1 155 negative pressure beds activated. A total of 71 confirmed patients are currently hospitalised in 15 public hospitals and the North Lantau Hospital Hong Kong Infection Control Centre, among which two patients are in critical condition, two are in serious condition and the remaining 67 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 case numbers of the discharged, critical and serious patients are as follows: