â€‹The prefabricated double-arch steel bridge for the Cross Bay Link, Tseung Kwan O, arrived in Hong Kong today (February 16), to be erected on the bridge piers later.
      
     Of its about 1.8 kilometre total length, 1km of the Cross Bay Link is a marine viaduct composed of a number of sizeable steel and concrete members. The steel bridge components are prefabricated in Nantong, near Shanghai, and delivered to Hong Kong in batches for erection.
      
     A spokesman for the Civil Engineering and Development Department (CEDD) said that the double-arch steel bridge arriving in Hong Kong today has a length of 200 metres and a weight of about 10 000 tonnes. Constructed with high-strength steel, it is an integral part of the marine viaduct of the Cross Bay Link, and would, upon completion, be the longest span and heaviest steel arch bridge in Hong Kong. The delivery vessel of the double-arch steel bridge departed Nantong on February 9 and entered Junk Bay this morning after a sea journey of eight days.
      
     Spanning across Junk Bay, the Cross Bay Link will connect the southeastern areas of Tseung Kwan O with the Tseung Kwan O – Lam Tin Tunnel, and will provide linkage to Tiu Keng Leng and Tseung Kwan O town centre. Scheduled for completion in 2022, the project will greatly ease transportation between the southeastern part of Tseung Kwan O and Kowloon. With reductions in the traffic load on Wan Po Road and Tseung Kwan O town centre, traffic flow in the district will be much enhanced. 
      
     The spokesman said, "The CEDD supervised the arrival of the double-arch steel bridge at the Tathong Channel this morning. The Department acknowledges the project team's meticulous planning and arrangement for the prefabrication, assembly and delivery of the double-arch steel bridge, overcoming various engineering challenges and site setting constraints. The whole process was completed in an efficient and orderly manner, allowing the double-arch steel bridge to be delivered to Hong Kong on schedule."

     For more information about the Cross Bay Link, please visit the project website (www.cbltko.hk).

          

     The Legal Aid Department today (February 16) announced that all of its offices will resume normal office hours starting from February 18 (Thursday) to provide normal public services including civil and criminal legal aid application and litigation services.
      

     Members of the public may visit the department's website (www.lad.gov.hk) for more information or contact the department for enquiries through its 24-hour hotline (2537 7677), email (ladinfo@lad.gov.hk) or fax (2537 5948).

     The Government announced today (February 16) that the Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, under the authority delegated by the Chief Executive pursuant to the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Cap. 571), has re-appointed Ms Julia Leung as the Executive Director (Intermediaries) (ED(INT)) and the Deputy Chief Executive Officer (DCEO) of the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) for a term of three years from March 2, 2021 to March 1, 2024.
 
     Mr Chan said, "Ms Leung has made valuable contributions to the work of the SFC. I look forward to her continued service to the SFC in the new term to promote the regulation and development of Hong Kong's securities and futures market."

     Ms Leung was appointed as the Executive Director (Investment Products) of the SFC in March 2015. Since June 2016, Ms Leung has taken over the ED(INT) post. In March 2018, Ms Leung was appointed as the DCEO in addition to the ED(INT) post. She has assumed the management responsibility for the Intermediaries Division of the SFC and assists the Chief Executive Officer of the SFC on Commission-wide policy issues, longer-term strategic direction setting, international engagement and key organisational development.

     The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (February 16) that in view of notifications from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Finland, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs of Korea, and the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) respectively about outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N8 avian influenza in Municipality of Janakkala, Tavastia Proper Region in Finland; Jeju-si in Korea; District of Weißenburg-Gunzenhausen, State of Bayern in Germany; and a notification from the General Veterinary Inspectorate of Poland about an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza in Å»arski District of Lubuskie Region in Poland, the CFS has instructed the trade to suspend the import of poultry meat and products (including poultry eggs) from the above-mentioned areas 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 440 tonnes of frozen poultry meat from Finland; about 1,190 tonnes of chilled and frozen poultry meat and about 11.15 million poultry eggs from Korea; about 3,900 tonnes of frozen poultry meat and about 1.41 million poultry eggs from Germany; and about 13,500 tonnes of frozen poultry meat and about 39.08 million poultry eggs from Poland last year.

      "The CFS has contacted the Finnish, Korean, German and Polish authorities over the issues and will closely monitor information issued by the OIE and the relevant authorities on the avian influenza outbreaks. Appropriate action will be taken in response to the development of the situation," the spokesman said.

     To align with the announcement by the Government to fully resume normal public services, the Government Records Service (GRS) announced today (February 16) that starting from February 18, the Search Room of the Public Records Office (PRO) will resume normal opening hours (from Monday to Friday from 9am to 5.45pm and Saturday from 9am to 1pm (excluding public holidays)) to provide services for members of the public who have made a reservation through the online catalogue. The quota is 15 users per day, which will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. The Search Room services will continue to be suspended for those who have not made an online reservation for holdings.

     The Exhibition Hall of the Hong Kong Public Records Building (the Building) will also be reopened starting from February 18. Group visits and public education programmes will continue to be conducted online until further notice.

     Members of the public are required to wear masks at all times when they are inside the Building, and follow the infection control measures, including temperature checks upon entering the Building and applying hand sanitiser.
 
     Furthermore, to align with the announcement by the Government to use the "LeaveHomeSafe" mobile app before entering government buildings or offices, starting from March 1, members of the public will be required to scan the "LeaveHomeSafe" QR code or register their names, contact numbers and the date and time of their visits before entering the Building for necessary contact tracing if a confirmed case is found. To allow members of the public to familiarise themselves with the "LeaveHomeSafe" mobile app, from February 22 onwards, the GRS will first remind members of the public to use the "LeaveHomeSafe" mobile app at the entrance of the Building. To fight the epidemic together, the GRS appeals for visitors' co-operation with the instructions given by the staff on site.
 
     For the latest updates, please visit the GRS website (www.grs.gov.hk) or the PRO Facebook page (www.facebook.com/grs.publicrecordsoffice). For enquiries, please email proinfo@grs.gov.hk.