The rhododendron, considered a great beauty of the flower kingdom, will be featured as the theme flower of the Online Hong Kong Flower Show 2021 (Online Flower Show).
 
     In view of the latest developments of the COVID-19 pandemic, this year's flower show will be presented virtually on the Show's dedicated website (www.hkflowershow.hk) from March 19 to April 19, with the theme "City of Flowers, City of Love". Members of the public can enjoy a new experience from the Online Flower Show comfortably at home, as exquisite garden plots across 18 districts, along with a Theme Flower Display and a Tulip Display, are being set up by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department at its designated parks.
 
     Rhododendrons are members under the Rhododendron genus. As the largest genus under the Ericaceae family, there are approximately 1 000 rhododendrons around the world, predominantly distributed in East and South Asia, with some in North America, Europe and Australia.
 
     Generally, most rhododendrons are shrubs, rarely trees. Apart from having simple entire leaves arranged alternately, rhododendrons commonly display their corollas in the shape of a bell, a funnel, a hollow cylinder, or a salver with a slender tube.
 
     Rhododendrons come in a variety of colours such as white, red, pink, peach and purple. The flowering period mainly falls in spring, usually in March and April, and the soil in Hong Kong is favourable to its growth.
 
     For the latest information about the Online Flower Show, please visit the above-mentioned dedicated website. For enquiries, please call 2601 8260.

    

     Police today (March 13) appealed to the public for information on a man who went missing in Ta Kwu Ling.

     To Kong-tai, aged 62, went missing after he left his residence at Chow Tin Tsuen, Ta Kwu Ling on March 11 afternoon. His family made a report to Police on the same day.
         
     He is about 1.7 metres tall, 65 kilograms in weight and of thin build. He has a round face with yellow complexion and is bald. He was last seen wearing a green long-sleeve t-shirt, blue pants and blue plastic slippers.

     Anyone who knows the whereabouts of the missing man or may have seen him is urged to contact the Regional Missing Persons Unit of New Territories North on 3661 3115 or 6273 5787 or email to rmpu-ntn-1@police.gov.hk, or contact any police station.

  

     More than 110 000 users have registered for the one-stop personalised digital services platform "iAM Smart" since its launch in late December last year. To promote the wider use of its services, the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO) has set up "iAM Smart" self-registration kiosks and mobile registration teams to help members of the public register as "iAM Smart" users for a brand new online experience.

     With the rolling out of the COVID-19 Vaccination Programme, members of the public will be provided with a hard copy of vaccination records after their jabs. They can also download their electronic vaccination records using the "iAM Smart" mobile app. To support the registration for "iAM Smart", the OGCIO has deployed mobile registration teams at the 15 Community Vaccination Centres (CVCs) currently in operation. The service hours of the mobile registration teams at the CVCs are from 9.30am to 1.30pm, and from 2.30pm to 5.30pm every day.

     The OGCIO has also set up self-registration kiosks at 18 locations throughout Hong Kong to enable members of the public to register for "iAM Smart". The kiosks are situated at convenient locations, with nine in MTR stations and the rest in shopping centres and sports centres. The OGCIO will deploy more self-registration kiosks and mobile registration teams at appropriate locations subject to further demand. Information about the locations and service hours (www.iamsmart.gov.hk/en/reg_location.html) and the registration guide of the self-registration kiosk (www.iamsmart.gov.hk/en/media-info.html#tabs-2) are available on the above "iAM Smart" thematic webpages.

     Apart from mobile registration teams and self-registration kiosks, members of the public may register as "iAM Smart" users anytime anywhere by following a few simple steps after downloading the "iAM Smart" mobile app. They may also visit the registration service counters located at any of the 121 post offices (except mobile post offices).

     As a digital infrastructure for smart city development, "iAM Smart" provides four major functions, namely authentication, form filling, personalised notification and digital signing. Users can log in and access online services with a single digital identity with their personal mobile phones. At present, more than 30 online services can be accessed through "iAM Smart", including popular online services such as the COVID-19 electronic vaccination record and testing record, eTAX, online application for renewal of vehicle licence, eRVD Bill, change of address, MyGovHK, eHealth and online services of the two electricity and gas companies. By mid-2021, the number of online services accessible through the platform will increase to more than 110.

     The "iAM Smart" mobile app supports iOS and Android operating systems and mobile phones with biometric authentication. Members of the public can download and use the app for free.

    

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     During the winter surge, the Hospital Authority is closely monitoring the service demand of Accident and Emergency Departments and the occupancy rates in public hospitals. Key service statistics are being issued daily for public information. Details are in the appended table.

     Three charities have been issued Public Subscription Permits to hold flag sales on Hong Kong Island, in Kowloon and in the New Territories separately from 7am to 12.30pm today (March 13). The Social Welfare Department (SWD) has been informed by two of the charities that the regional flag-selling activities scheduled to be held by them today have been cancelled, a spokesman for the SWD said.

     Information on the regional flag-selling activity today is as follows:
 

 
     The contact information for the organisations that have cancelled their regional flag-selling activities today is as follows:
 

 
     Details of the charitable fund-raising activities, including any updated information, covered by the issued Public Subscription Permits have been published on the GovHK website (www.gov.hk/en/theme/fundraising/search). Permits for flag days containing information on contact methods of the flag-selling organisations and the approved flag-selling activities have also been uploaded to the SWD's website (www.swd.gov.hk/en/index/site_pubsvc/page_controlofc/sub_flagdays) for reference. For enquiries, please call the SWD's hotline at 2343 2255, or the designated hotline of the 1823 Call Centre at 3142 2678.
    
     In the case of suspected fraudulent flag day activities, people should not make any donation and should immediately report the matter to the Police, the spokesman added.