The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:

     The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) wishes to alert members of the public to a press release issued by China CITIC Bank International Limited on fraudulent website, which has been reported to the HKMA.  Hyperlink to the press release is available on the HKMA website for ease of reference by members of the public.
 
     Anyone who has provided his or her personal information to the website concerned or has conducted any financial transactions through the website should contact the bank concerned using the contact information provided in the press release, and report to the Police or contact the Cyber Security and Technology Crime Bureau of the Hong Kong Police Force at 2860 5012.

     The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (March 2) that in view of a notification from the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration about an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N8 avian influenza in Bornholm Municipality in Denmark, the CFS has instructed the trade to suspend the import of poultry meat and products (including poultry eggs) from the abovementioned area with immediate effect to protect public health in Hong Kong.
     
     A CFS spokesman said that according to the Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong imported about 1 640 tonnes of chilled and frozen poultry meat and about 1.33 million poultry eggs from Denmark last year.
    
     "The CFS has contacted the Danish authority over the issues and will closely monitor information issued by the World Organisation for Animal Health and the relevant authorities on avian influenza outbreaks. Appropriate actions will be taken in response to the development of the situation," the spokesman said.

     The Architectural Services Department (ArchSD) today (March 2) removed an Old and Valuable Tree (OVT) infected with brown root rot (BRR) disease at the Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens to ensure public safety and prevent the potential spread of the fungus to nearby trees. 

     The removed tree was a Ficus rumphii with the registration number ARCHSD CW/27 on the Register of OVTs. ArchSD found in January 2019 that it was infected with BRR disease, and promptly carried out risk mitigation measures, including crown cleaning and application of fungicide. However, the health and structural conditions of the tree kept declining, as indicated by the continuous spreading of the disease at the tree base and roots, resulting in sparse crown density and dead branches.

     ArchSD and the Greening, Landscape and Tree Management Section (GLTMS) of the Development Bureau jointly conducted an on-site tree inspection last December and confirmed that the health and structural conditions of the tree were irrecoverable with a potential risk of collapse. The GLTMS then consulted the Urban Forestry Advisory Panel on the proposal to fell the tree, and the panel members had no objection to the proposal. To protect the safety of members of the public, in particular park users and the drivers along the adjacent driveway, the tree was removed today.

     A Government spokesman today (March 2) reminded people belonging to the five priority groups that they can make reservations through the online booking system on the designated website of the COVID-19 Vaccination Programme (www.covidvaccine.gov.hk）starting from 9am tomorrow (March 3), for receiving the Comirnaty vaccine at the seven Community Vaccination Centres (CVCs, list at Annex 1) operated by the Hospital Authority (HA) for the period from March 10 to 30.

     Under the COVID-19 Vaccination Programme officially launched on February 26, people in the five priority groups who wish to receive the Sinovac vaccine can make an online booking for the vaccination at eight CVCs (list at Annex 2) and the 18 general out-patient clinics of the HA for the period until March 28. 

     Members of the public can also choose and make an appointment for receiving the Sinovac vaccine directly with a private doctor or clinic under the programme, without going through the Government online booking system. The list of participating private doctors and clinics that have made vaccine orders has been uploaded to the designated website of the programme. 

     Members of the public can search information about the vaccination venues including CVCs, general out-patient clinics of the HA, private doctors and clinics participating in the programme through the Interactive Map Dashboard of COVID-19 and the GeoInfo Map on the designated website (www.covidvaccine.gov.hk). This information will be updated in a timely manner.   

     "Vaccinations will protect ourselves and others, and reduce the chance of an outbreak of the epidemic in the community. We call on people in the five priority groups to get vaccinated as soon as possible so that Hong Kong's economy and people's lives can return to normal as soon as possible," the spokesman said.

     With the northeast monsoon over southern China being generally weaker than normal for most of the time in the month, February 2021 was much warmer and sunnier than usual in Hong Kong. The monthly mean maximum temperature of 23.5 degrees, the monthly mean temperature of 19.8 degrees and the monthly mean minimum temperature of 17.5 degrees were 4.1 degrees, 2.7 degrees and 2.2 degrees above their corresponding normal figures respectively (or 4.6 degrees, 3.0 degrees and 2.5 degrees above their corresponding 1981-2010 normal figures respectively), making them the second, the third and the fourth highest on record for February. The total sunshine duration in the month was 205.1 hours, more than twice the normal of 101.7 hours (or 110.9 hours above the 1981-2010 normal of 94.2 hours), making it the fourth highest on record for February. Mainly attributing to the exceptionally warm and sunny weather in February 2021, the winter in Hong Kong from December 2020 to February 2021 was warmer than usual. The mean temperature of 18.0 degrees was one of the joint seventh highest on record for the same period. The monthly rainfall was 62.1 millimetres, about 60 per cent above the normal of 38.9 mm (or about 14 per cent above the 1981-2010 normal of 54.4 mm) in February. The accumulated rainfall recorded in the first two months of the year was 62.1 mm, a decrease of about 14 per cent compared to the normal of 71.9 mm (or about 21 per cent below the 1981-2010 normal of 78.9 mm) for the same period.
      
     The weather of Hong Kong was fine and warm during the day on the first two days of the month. With plenty of sunshine, the temperature at the Hong Kong Observatory soared to a maximum of 27.6 degrees on the afternoon of February 2, the highest of the month. With a surge of the northeast monsoon arriving in that evening, local weather became windier and slightly cooler later that day, and the weather remained so on the next day. Affected by a dry northeast monsoon, it was generally fine, warm and dry during the day from February 4 to 7. 
      
     Under the influence of a strong easterly airstream, the weather of Hong Kong turned cloudier from February 8 to 9. Affected by an upper-air disturbance and the associated rainband, local weather was cloudy with rain and cooler on February 10. More than 30 mm of rainfall were generally recorded over the territory on that day. The weather remained cloudy and cool on February 11 with the temperature at the Hong Kong Observatory falling to a minimum of 15.3 degrees in the morning, the lowest of the month. 
      
     Under the influence of a dry northeast monsoon, the weather of Hong Kong turned fine with a cool morning on February 12, the first day of the Lunar New Year. Generally fine weather with warm daytimes persisted over the territory from February 13 to 23. 
      
     With a fresh easterly airstream affecting the coast of Guangdong and a cloud band covering the northern part of the South China Sea, the weather of Hong Kong turned mainly cloudy on February 24. There were a few rain patches on February 25. It was warm with sunny intervals during the day on February 26. A cold front moved across the coast of Guangdong that night and brought rainy weather to the territory. Under the influence of the northeast monsoon, local weather became cooler on February 27 with some rain in the morning. The weather remained mainly cloudy on the last day of the month.

     One tropical cyclone occurred over the South China Sea and the western North Pacific in February 2021.
      
     Details of the issuance and cancellation of various warnings/signals in February are summarised in Table 1. Monthly meteorological figures and departures from normal for February are tabulated in Table 2.