Tag Archives: China

     The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (April 23) released the latest grading of water quality for 38 gazetted beaches (see Note 1) and one non-gazetted beach (i.e. Discovery Bay, see Note 2). 
 
     Thirty-three beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1) and six as Fair (Grade 2).
 
Grade 1 beaches are:         

Approach Beach	Lo So Shing Beach
Big Wave Bay Beach*	Lower Cheung Sha Beach
Cafeteria New Beach	Middle Bay Beach
Cafeteria Old Beach	Pui O Beach
Casam Beach*	Repulse Bay Beach*
Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach*	Shek O Beach*
Chung Hom Kok Beach	Silver Mine Bay Beach*
Clear Water Bay First Beach	Silverstrand Beach*
Clear Water Bay Second Beach*	South Bay Beach
Deep Water Bay Beach*	St Stephen’s Beach
Discovery Bay	Stanley Main Beach*
Golden Beach*	Ting Kau Beach
Hap Mun Bay Beach*	Tong Fuk Beach
Hung Shing Yeh Beach*	Trio Beach
Kadoorie Beach	Turtle Cove Beach
Kiu Tsui Beach	Upper Cheung Sha Beach
Kwun Yam Beach

 
Grade 2 beaches are:

Anglers’ Beach	Hoi Mei Wan Beach
Butterfly Beach*	Lido Beach*
Castle Peak Beach	Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach*

 
     Compared with the grading released last week, Approach Beach and Ting Kau Beach have been upgraded from Grade 2 to Grade 1, and Anglers’ Beach from Grade 3 to Grade 2.
 
     Under the present grading system, beaches are classified into four grades, namely Good (Grade 1), Fair (Grade 2), Poor (Grade 3) and Very Poor (Grade 4), according to the level of E. coli in the water. Grades are calculated on the basis of the geometric mean of the E. coli counts on the five most recent sampling occasions.
 
     A summary of beach grades is published weekly before the weekend. The latest beach grades based on the most current data may be obtained from the EPD’s website on Beach Water Quality (www.epd.gov.hk/epd/beach) or the beach hotline, 2511 6666.
 
Note 1: The Leisure and Cultural Services Department has resumed lifeguard services at 16 gazetted beaches, marked with an asterisk above, from April 16.
 
Note 2: Discovery Bay is a non-gazetted beach without lifeguard service. read more

     A 25-year-old man was sentenced to immediate imprisonment for 14 days by the Kowloon City Magistrates’ Courts today (April 23) for violating the Compulsory Quarantine of Certain Persons Arriving at Hong Kong Regulation (Cap. 599C) (the Regulation).

     The man was earlier issued a compulsory quarantine order stating that he must conduct quarantine at home for 14 days. Before the expiry of the quarantine order, he left the place of quarantine and he was also found to have taken off his electronic wristband on September 18, 2020, without reasonable excuse nor permission given by an authorised officer. He was charged with contravening sections 8(1), 8(4) and 8(5) of the Regulation and was sentenced by the Kowloon City Magistrates’ Courts today to immediate imprisonment for 14 days for each of the two charges, with the sentences to run concurrently. 

     Breaching a quarantine order is a criminal offence and offenders are subject to a maximum fine of $25,000 and imprisonment for six months. A spokesman for the Department of Health said the sentencing sends a clear message to the community that breaching a compulsory quarantine order is a criminal offence that the Government will not tolerate, and solemnly reminded the public to comply with the regulations. As of today, a total of 127 persons have been convicted by the courts for breaching compulsory quarantine orders and have received sentences including immediate imprisonment for up to 14 weeks or a fine of up to $15,000. The spokesman reiterated that resolute actions will be taken against anyone who has breached the relevant regulations. read more

     The Mercury Control Bill was published in the Gazette today (April 23), and will be introduced into the Legislative Council for first and second readings on May 5.
      
     The Bill seeks to implement the Minamata Convention on Mercury to regulate matters including the import, export, keeping and use of mercury, mercury mixtures and mercury compounds, as well as the import, export, manufacture and supply of mercury-added products.
      
     The Bill has four main provisions, namely the introduction of a permit system to control the import and export of all forms of mercury, the phasing out of mercury-added products listed in the Convention, the phasing out of the use of mercury and mercury compounds in the manufacturing processes listed in the Convention, and the introduction of a permit system to control the storage of all forms of mercury and mercury compounds.
      
     A spokesman for the Environment Bureau said, “The Bill ensures the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR)’s full compliance with the international obligations of the Convention, and protects public health and the environment from anthropogenic emissions and releases of mercury and mercury compounds.”
      
     The Convention, which came into force in August 2017, is an international treaty. The People’s Republic of China is one of the parties to the Convention, which also applies to the HKSAR. read more

The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Housing Authority:        The Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) today (April 23) announced that public housing tenants in short-term financial difficulties with rent in arrear… read more

     The Independent Audit Panel for Implementation of Recommendations in the Final Report of the Commission of Inquiry into the Construction Works at and near the Hung Hom Station Extension under the Shatin to Central Link Project submitted its audit report to the Chief Executive on March 26. The report was uploaded to the Transport and Housing Bureau (THB) website today (April 23) (www.thb.gov.hk/eng/psp/publications/transport/studies/index.htm).
 
     In regard to the 78 recommendations put forward by the Commission to promote public safety and assurance on quality of works, the Panel is of the view that 50 have been fully implemented and satisfactory progress towards the full implementation of the other 28 is being made. To ensure the full implementation of these 28 recommendations, the Panel suggests that the THB should continue to monitor the implementation progress.
 
     The Secretary for Transport and Housing, Mr Frank Chan Fan, expressed his sincere gratitude to the Chairman of the Panel, Mr Wong Kwai-huen, and the Members of the Panel, Professor Lo Hong-kam and Mr Chan Chi-chiu, for their efforts in conducting the independent follow-up audit on the implementation progress of the various recommended measures in the Commission’s Final Report and compiling the audit report.

     The THB will continue to monitor the implementation progress of the Commission’s recommendations. read more