The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, accompanied by the Urban Renewal Authority (URA) Board Chairman, Mr Chow Chung-kong, and the URA's Managing Director, Mr Wai Chi-sing, today (March 24) visited Kwun Tong to inspect the newly completed Yue Man Square Public Transport Interchange (PTI), which will commence operation shortly. As one of the important facilities of the URA Kwun Tong Town Centre redevelopment project, it will be the largest covered PTI in Hong Kong. The bus terminus is located on the first floor of the project’s podium and the minibus terminus is on the ground floor, with multiple entrances and exits connecting to the shopping arcade and streets nearby. The PTI will commence operation next Friday (April 2).

     Mrs Lam said she was pleased to note that the new PTI has leveraged various innovative and smart elements, including the application of the idea of separating pedestrians and vehicles in setting up Hong Kong's first air-conditioned waiting area and the artificial intelligence-operated gate control system at the bus terminus, and the installation of smart ventilation facilities researched and developed by local enterprises at the minibus terminus, providing a better waiting environment and convenience for passengers. To tie in with the Government’s policy in promoting electric vehicles, charging facilities for minibuses will be provided at the minibus terminus.

     The Kwun Tong Town Centre redevelopment project is the biggest redevelopment project of the URA, with the site, spanning more than 50 000 square metres, involving more than 1 600 private property titles and 3 000 residents. The total development cost amounts to tens of billions of dollars. The redevelopment area held a number of facilities providing public services including government offices and a health centre which required appropriate reprovisioning during the redevelopment period. The relocation of a Chinese banyan tree which had accompanied local residents of Yuet Wah Street for several decades also took tremendous effort. Taking into account the huge size of the project, the URA adopted a planning-led and district-based approach in taking forward the project. Capitalising on the redevelopment opportunities, the URA has replanned the traffic routes, pedestrian facilities and green and leisure spaces to create a more people-oriented community and bring greater benefits to residents.

     "During my tenure as the Secretary for Development, I personally supervised the Kwun Tong Town Centre redevelopment project and also conducted several site visits to inspect the work progress, including viewing the relocation of the Chinese banyan tree at midnight in May 2011, the memory of which remains fresh in my mind today," Mrs Lam said.

     "The Kwun Tong Town Centre redevelopment project has been in progress for more than 10 years and facilities in various phases have been commissioned gradually. It is an extremely arduous project and it is expected to be fully completed by 2029-30. This redevelopment project has not only improved the living environment of residents in an old district, but has also transformed Kwun Tong into a more liveable and work-friendly district, adding colour to the Energizing Kowloon East project. I commend the URA Board and staff members for their hard work."

     Mrs Lam subsequently viewed the site of the new Civil Service College nearby and was briefed by the Secretary for the Civil Service, Mr Patrick Nip, and the Director of Architectural Services, Ms Winnie Ho, on the design of the project. The Chief Executive announced in the 2018 Policy Address that a site in Kwun Tong had been identified for composite development under which two buildings, a high block and a low block, were planned to be built. The high block, which will have a net operating floor area of about 15 000 sq m, will mainly house the Civil Service College and other civil service facilities and will be equipped with better and more diversified facilities for civil service training, while the low block will mainly provide social welfare and community facilities to serve the residents in the district. The composite development will also provide elevated walkways, public open space and a landscaped deck to enhance walkability in the area. If funding for the project is approved next year, it can be completed in phases from the end of 2026.

          

     The COVID-19 Vaccination Programme has been implemented for 27 days since February 26.

     In the past 24 hours ending at 8pm today (March 24), the following figures were recorded:
 
(i) About 8 600 persons received their first dose of Sinovac vaccine, including about 6 300 persons vaccinated at eight Community Vaccination Centres (CVCs) and about 2 300 persons at private doctors and clinics participating in the programme; and
 
(ii) About 1 080 persons received their first dose of BioNTech vaccine in CVCs before the suspension of BioNTech vaccination service this morning.
 
(iii) A total of about 9 700 persons received their first dose of vaccine.
 
     The overall percentage of people who have received Sinovac vaccine at eight CVCs today is about 79 per cent.
 
     So far, a cumulative total of about 412 800 persons have received their first vaccination dose (Annex 1), with about 261 500 persons receiving Sinovac vaccine and about 151 300 persons receiving BioNTech vaccine.
 
     As of 8pm today, about 6 900 persons had reserved their first and second doses of the Sinovac vaccine online in the past 24 hours. Online booking for BioNTech vaccination has been suspended.
 
     In the past 24 hours ending at 0000 hours today, there were 15 cases of ambulance transfer to hospital. Among them, six persons were discharged, five persons were admitted for observation and four persons were discharged against medical advice (Annex 2).
 
     Meanwhile, as background information, in the past 24 hours ending at 0000 hours today, there were 69 cases of stroke or myocardial infarction that required admission to Intensive Care Unit, Acute Stroke Unit and Cardiac Care Unit in public hospitals. This figure is the actual total number of new cases admitted to concerned wards due to stroke or myocardial infarction and serves as a cross reference for the general public to comprehend the unwell cases.

     The Department of Health (DH) had an urgent meeting with Fosun Industrial Co., Limited this morning (March 24) to follow up matters relating to deviations in the packaging material of the BioNTech vaccine. Fosun Pharma and BioNTech have initiated an investigation and promised to report to the DH as early as possible. At this stage, suspension of BioNTech vaccination in Hong Kong will continue temporarily until the investigation is complete.

     A spokesman for the DH emphasised that risk to product safety has not been found. The suspension of vaccination is for the sake of prudence and as a precautionary measure to continuously ensure vaccine safety. Booking and vaccination have been suspended at all the Community Vaccination Centres until further notice. The Government will closely monitor the incident and will timely announce the latest situation and arrangement as soon as possible.

     According to the consensus interim recommendations published in January by the Scientific Committee on Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases and the Scientific Committee on Vaccine Preventable Diseases under the Centre for Health Protection, the schedule of two doses of BioNTech vaccine should be administered at least 21 days apart. Currently, there is limited information on the safety, immunogenicity and efficacy of receiving the vaccine if more than 21 days have elapsed since the first dose. Analysis of the phase III efficacy data of BioNTech vaccine showed that it was feasible to administer second dose from 19 to 42 days. The World Health Organization, according to the current available clinical data, also recommends that the interval of two doses of BioNTech vaccine could be extended to 42 days. On the other hand, if more than 21 days have elapsed since the first dose, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Health Canada both recommend the second dose to be given at the earliest opportunity without repeating the series.

     The Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Christopher Hui, took part in a webinar today (March 24) to promote Hong Kong as a comprehensive international financial centre to the Indonesian business community.
      
     Following the webinar held earlier this month for the Singapore business sector, this was the second webinar Mr Hui joined in a month to exchange views with seasoned business and finance leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations region.
      
     During the webinar, entitled "Resilience in the post-COVID era: Indonesian enterprises to leverage on Hong Kong's leading financial infrastructure", Mr Hui spoke with the participating members of the business community on the latest developments and initiatives in Hong Kong's financial arena, highlighting the city's competitive edge in initial public offering (IPO) fundraising, green and sustainable finance and fintech innovations.
      
     He also pointed out the new opportunities arising from the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), and how Hong Kong can help Indonesian enterprises in spurring economic development in the post-pandemic era.
      
     "Over the past year or so, despite the evolving situation of the COVID-19 pandemic and other uncertainties in the global environment, Hong Kong's financial system has been operating smoothly. Our markets have demonstrated resilience and robust performance in terms of IPO funds raised and trading volume," Mr Hui said.
      
     "The institutional strengths of Hong Kong as an international financial centre are obvious. Our markets are highly open and internationalised, with robust infrastructure support and internationally aligned regulatory regimes. Coupled with our rule of law, a large pool of financial talents and diversified financial products, as well as a free flow of information and capital, we will continue to consolidate Hong Kong's status as a leading international financial centre."
      
     Mr Hui added, "Hong Kong has a well-developed ecosystem for tech listings since we introduced our listing reform back in 2018. With dual or secondary listings of tech companies proven to be successful in Hong Kong, we encourage Indonesian businesses to make use of Hong Kong, an offshore financial centre for Mainland enterprises and an important conduit for international capital to enter the Mainland market, to establish a presence or expand their businesses here."
      
     Also speaking at the webinar were the Group General Manager and Chief Executive (Hong Kong) of the HSBC, Ms Diana Cesar, and the Founder and Group CEO of WeLab, Mr Simon Loong. They highlighted Hong Kong's role as the natural partner for Indonesia in trade, investment and wealth management, especially given the city's unique combination of connectivity and access to Mainland China and the GBA. They also discussed experiences of building a highly scalable and transferable business model to tap into the opportunities in the region.
      
     The webinar was moderated by the Chairman of the Permanent Committee for Asia Pacific Region, Indonesia Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mr Bernardino Moningka Vega, Jr. The Director-General of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Jakarta, Mr Law Kin-wai, gave closing remarks.
      
     Today's webinar was co-organised by the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau of the HKSAR Government, the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Jakarta and the Financial Services Development Council, and was supported by Invest Hong Kong of the HKSAR Government, Indonesia Fintech Lending Association, the Venture Capital Association of Indonesia, the Health Tech Association of Indonesia and the Asset Management Association of Indonesia.

      

     A 33-year-old male Police Constable who is posted to the Kowloon West Regional Crime Unit, preliminarily tested positive for the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19). As the police officer’s family member was tested positive for COVID-19 on March 18, he was also arranged for COVID-19 test and was sent for quarantine. He was preliminarily tested positive for COVID-19 on March 22. He has no travel history over the past 14 days. He had no contact with members of the public and he wore face mask during his tour of duty. His last working day was March 18.

     Police are highly concerned and have the following messages:

(1)    Before further assessment by the Department of Health (DH), all police officers and civilian staff who might have been in contact with the officer concerned have been arranged to undergo COVID-19 test as per DH’s direction;

(2)    All facilities in the office concerned have been sterilised;

(3)    All officers have been reminded to reduce social contact to minimise risks of infection, and to pay attention to physical health. If feeling unwell, they should consult a doctor and report the case immediately;

(4) Police will deploy resources flexibly to ensure provision of policing services of the areas concerned remains unaffected.

     Police are highly concerned about the case and will maintain close communication with the DH and provide assistance in tracing the pathology, by proactively providing information such as the duty record and roster of the officer concerned. Arrangements will be made for close contacts to be conveyed to quarantine centres to undergo quarantine.