The Rating and Valuation Department today (April 30) released online the Hong Kong Property Review 2021, which contains statistics and commentaries on the local property market in 2020 as well as forecast completions in 2021 and 2022.
 
     The full contents of the publication are available for free viewing and downloading through www.rvd.gov.hk/en/publications/index.html#statistics.
 
     Further enquiries can be directed to the department by contacting the Technical Secretary (Information) at 2150 8807.

     The Social Welfare Department (SWD) reminds charitable organisations wishing to hold flag days from April 2022 to March 2023 that the deadline for related applications is 6pm on May 14 this year.

     The application form for flag days together with the explanatory notes can be downloaded from the SWD's website at www.swd.gov.hk. The completed application form together with the required documents should reach the Lotteries Fund Projects Section of the SWD at Rooms 3601-02, 36/F, Dah Sing Financial Centre, 248 Queen's Road East, Wan Chai, Hong Kong, by 6pm on May 14 this year. Late applications will not be considered.

     Enquiries can be made by telephone to 2832 4318 or 2832 4301; by fax to 2838 0441; or by email to eolf5@swd.gov.hk.

     Six new names, Yinxing, Co-may, Nongfa, Ragasa, Koto and Nokaen, have been introduced to the list of tropical cyclone names in the western North Pacific and the South China Sea in 2021 to replace the old names of Yutu, Lekima, Faxai, Hagibis, Kammuri and Phanfone respectively.

     The new names were endorsed by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific/World Meteorological Organization Typhoon Committee at its 53rd session. The meanings of these six new names and the contributing countries are as follows:
 

     According to convention, the Typhoon Committee will consider retiring the name of a tropical cyclone that has caused serious casualties and economic losses. In October 2018, Super Typhoon Yutu left at least two deaths and 133 injuries during its passage to Saipan. Electricity supply was interrupted in many places. Yutu also brought torrential rain and squalls to the northern part of the Philippines, triggering landslides and flooding, resulting in at least 20 deaths. In August 2019, Super Typhoon Lekima caused at least 56 deaths and 14 missing in eastern China. Over 14 million people were affected with direct economic losses exceeding RMB51.5 billion. Under the influence of the torrential rain brought about by Super Typhoon Lekima, there were at least two deaths and 11 injuries in Taiwan. Severe Typhoon Faxai and Super Typhoon Hagibis hit Kanto in Japan in September and October 2019 respectively, causing extensive flooding and power outage. Marine, land and air traffic in Kanto was paralysed. These two storms resulted in at least 102 deaths, 618 injuries and seven missing in total. In December 2019, the Philippines was hit by Super Typhoon Kammuri and Typhoon Phanfone in succession, resulting in a total of 54 deaths and 680 injuries.

     The updated list of tropical cyclone names and their corresponding meanings is available at the Hong Kong Observatory website: www.hko.gov.hk/en/informtc/sound/tcname2021e.html.

　　A girl who went missing in Sau Mau Ping has been located.

　　Lam Hoi-ying, aged 14, went missing after she left her residence in On Tai Estate on April 26 morning. Her family made a report to Police on the same day.

　　The girl turned up at Kwun Tong Police Station to cancel the missing person report in the small hours today (April 30).
　　

     â€‹The Government announced today (April 29) the further tightening of the criteria of place-specific flight suspension mechanism. 
      
     Under the tightened place-specific flight suspension mechanism, the Government will extend the measure to prohibit all passenger flights from India, Pakistan and the Philippines from landing in Hong Kong, and starting from 00.00am on May 1, prohibit all passenger flights from Nepal from landing in Hong Kong. Starting from the same day, Nepal will also be specified as an extremely high-risk place under the Prevention and Control of Disease (Regulation of Cross-boundary Conveyances and Travellers) Regulation (Cap. 599H) alongside the other three places aforementioned, so as to restrict persons who have stayed in these places from boarding for Hong Kong.
      
     The Government implemented the place-specific flight suspension mechanism on April 14. Under the mechanism, if a total of five or more passengers among all flights from the same place, regardless of airline, were confirmed by arrival tests for COVID-19 with the N501Y mutant strain within a seven-day period, the Government would invoke Cap. 599H to prohibit all passenger flights from that place from landing in Hong Kong for 14 days, and would at the same time specify that place as an extremely high-risk place under Cap. 599H to restrict persons who have stayed in that place for more than two hours from boarding passenger flights for Hong Kong for 14 days, so as to prevent persons from the relevant place from arriving at Hong Kong via transit.

     In view of the continually unstable global epidemic situation, the Government will adjust the place-specific flight suspension mechanism having considered the actual operation of the mechanism. In addition to making reference to the N501Y mutant strain, other relevant virus mutation which may potentially pose similar risks to Hong Kong's public health will also be considered. A new criterion will also be introduced to run in parallel with the criteria aforementioned. If a total of 10 or more passengers were confirmed positive by any tests (including tests conducted during quarantine) with the N501Y mutant strain or relevant virus mutation within a seven-day period, the flight suspension mechanism would also be triggered. At the same time, as a measure to manage the flight resumption arrangements more cautiously under the mechanism, the Government will conduct risk assessments every two weeks for comprehensive reviews of relevant factors such as the epidemic situation of the relevant places, vaccination rate, and the prevalence of new virus variants, etc., before determining whether it was appropriate to remove the flight suspension. Due to the need to review the epidemic situation of the place concerned, the flight suspension mechanism will not be lifted automatically.
      
     "As a more targeted measure in stopping the importation of the virus into Hong Kong at the source, the tightened flight suspension mechanism is an essential measure in protecting Hong Kong's public health. The Government will continue to closely monitor the situation, and will further adjust the various arrangements relevant to the prevention of importation of cases as necessary," said a Government spokesman.