The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     Regarding an earlier announcement on a cluster of patients confirmed to have Carbapenemase-Producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE), the spokesperson for Princess Margaret Hospital made the following update today (March 16):
 
     In accordance with prevailing guidelines, the hospital has commenced contact tracing and identified six more patients (five males and one female, aged 61 to 86) to be CPE carriers without clinical symptoms. Two of the patients have been discharged while the remaining four patients are being treated under isolation and are in stable condition.
 
     The hospital infection control team has followed up with the departments concerned and the Centre for Health Protection. The following enhanced infection control measures have already been adopted in the ward concerned:
 

1. Enhanced patient and environmental screening procedures;
2. Applied stringent contact precautions and enhanced hand hygiene of staff and patients; and
3. Enhanced cleaning and disinfection of the ward.

 
     The hospital will continue to closely monitor the situation of the patients. The cases have been reported to the Hospital Authority Head Office and the Centre for Health Protection for necessary follow-up.

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     The spokesperson for Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital made the following announcement today (March 16):
 
     Twelve patients (eight males and four females, aged 29 to 98) of medical wards have been confirmed as being carriers of Multi-Drug Resistant Acinetobacter (MDRA) since March 4. Eight of them are still hospitalised and one patient has been transferred to Tung Wah Eastern Hospital. They are currently under medical surveillance and isolation treatment with stable condition. One patient had been discharged earlier and the other two patients had passed away due to underlying disease.
 
     Following the activation of Emergency Response Level in public hospitals, visiting arrangements for the wards have been suspended. The following enhanced infection control measures have been stepped up according to 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 cases have been reported to the Hospital Authority Head Office and the Centre for Health Protection for necessary follow-up. The hospital will continue to closely monitor the conditions of other patients in the wards.

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     As at 9am today (March 16), 17 COVID-19 confirmed patients were discharged from hospital in the last 24 hours. So far, a total of 10 786 patients with confirmed or probable infection have been discharged.
 
     At present, there are 648 negative pressure rooms in public hospitals with 1 184 negative pressure beds activated. A total of 291 confirmed patients are currently hospitalised in 19 public hospitals and the North Lantau Hospital Hong Kong Infection Control Centre, among which 10 patients are in critical condition, 11 are in serious condition and the remaining 270 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.
 
     Details of the above-mentioned patients are as follows:
 

     The Government announced today (March 16) that the Registrar of Money Lenders has sought the approval of the Licensing Court to impose enhanced conditions on all Money Lenders Licences granted or renewed with effect from March 16, 2021.
 
     The enhanced licensing conditions require money lenders, before entering into a loan agreement for an unsecured personal loan, to undertake an assessment of the borrower's ability to make repayments under the loan agreement, and have due regard to the outcome of that affordability assessment.
 
     "Borrowers have the responsibility to make an assessment of their own ability to repay the loan. At the same time, we hope that through imposing the new licensing condition, money lenders will be encouraged to practise responsible lending," a spokesman for the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau said.
 
     In addition, two existing licensing conditions have been refined, with a view to enhancing regulation of advertisements of money lenders and protection of loan referees. "The revised licensing conditions require that the advertisements published by money lenders should be fair and reasonable and not contain misleading information, and that the referees' information should immediately cease to be used if the money lender is informed or aware that the written consent was, in fact, not signed by the referee," the spokesman added.
 
     In addition to the enhanced licensing conditions, the Registrar has also introduced a number of administrative measures to strengthen the regulation of money lenders, including the issuance of two sets of guidelines, namely the Guideline on Fit and Proper Criteria for Licensing of Money Lenders and the Guideline on Submission of Business Plan by Applicant of a Money Lenders Licence, on January 29, 2021.
 
     "The two sets of new guidelines seek to strengthen the vetting process for the licensing of money lenders. The Guideline on Fit and Proper Criteria outlines the criteria and matters that the Registrar will normally consider in determining the fitness and properness of applicants for Money Lenders Licences, licensed money lenders, and their related persons. With effect from April 1, 2021, applicants for a new Money Lenders Licence will be required to submit a business plan for their money-lending business together with their application to show that they have a comprehensive understanding of the money-lending business and are ready to carry on the business. The Guideline on Submission of Business Plan sets out the key items of information that should be included in the business plan," the spokesman continued.
 
     The Government will continue to monitor the developments of the money lending sector and review the regulatory measures in good time.
 

     In view of the constraints of the venue during the epidemic, the Labour Department announced today (March 16) that the occupational health public talk entitled "Occupational health of office workers series (II): Prevention of musculoskeletal disorders" scheduled for March 22 at the Lecture Hall of the Hong Kong Space Museum has been cancelled. Enrolled participants will be informed of the cancellation individually.