The Land Registry announced today (February 16) that the opening hours of all of its offices will return to normal starting from this Thursday (February 18). Details are as follows:
 
(1) between 9am and 1.30pm from Monday to Friday, other than on a public holiday, for the purpose of delivering instruments for registration; and
 
(2) between 9am and 12.30pm and between 2pm and 5pm from Monday to Friday, other than on a public holiday, for other purposes.
 
     To reduce social contact, customers may also deposit documents to be delivered to the Land Registry (excluding instruments to be delivered for registration) in the Drop-in Box located near the Information Counter on the Deck Floor of the High Block of Queensway Government Offices between 9am and 5pm from Monday to Friday, other than on a public holiday.
      
     Members of the public are encouraged to conduct land searches through the Land Registry's online search service (www.iris.gov.hk) and use the Drop-in Box as far as possible. The Land Registry also appeals to members of the public visiting its offices to download the "LeaveHomeSafe" mobile app and use the venue QR code of "LeaveHomeSafe" displayed at the entrances. This is to align with the arrangement starting from March 1 that members of the public will be required to use the "LeaveHomeSafe" mobile app before entering government buildings or offices. For enquiries, please call the Land Registry hotline on 3105 0000.
 

     The Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD) announced today (February 16) that its public services will be resumed from February 18. The department will continue to maintain a high degree of vigilance and adopt necessary precautionary measures to reduce the risk of the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
      
     The Registration and Permit Office at its Kowloon Bay headquarters will be open from 9am to 5.15pm, Monday to Friday, starting from February 18. Measures to control the flow of people will be implemented, which may lead to longer waiting times for counter services. The EMSD has introduced the online booking system (rpobooking.emsd.gov.hk) for the public to register for counter services in advance. Meanwhile, the public can still drop their applications, with cheques for payment, at the collection box located on the ground floor at the Kowloon Bay headquarters during office hours. Applicants will be notified on the results by phone or mail.
      
     The EMSD Gallery will be reopened starting from February 18, while all interactive exhibits will continue to be temporarily closed. Special measures will be implemented, including admission limits and requiring children under 12 to be accompanied by an adult. For enquiries, please call the hotline for the Education Path of the EMSD at 3757 6162 or email to edpath@emsd.gov.hk.
      
     The EMSD appeals to the public to minimise visiting its headquarters in person unless necessary, and to file requests for service by post or email. Members of the public should wear surgical masks at all times during their visits to the EMSD headquarters and comply with the infection control measures including temperature checks, using the "LeaveHomeSafe" mobile app and crowd control arrangements.
      
     The EMSD will continue to monitor the situation closely and review the arrangements in a timely manner. For enquiries, please call 2333 3762 or email to info@emsd.gov.hk.

     ​The Transport Department (TD) said today (February 16) that in view of the latest situation of COVID-19, special arrangements will continue to be implemented at the seven government car parks under the management of the TD for the sale of monthly tickets for March to reduce the risk of the spread of the virus in the community.
      
     The existing holders of a monthly ticket for private car/van, motorcycle or taxi for February can purchase a monthly ticket for the same vehicle type for March with priority. These eligible monthly ticket holders have to complete the procedures for purchasing the monthly ticket for March by 9pm on February 22 at the shroff offices of the car parks concerned. Any such person who fails to purchase the monthly ticket before the above deadline will be regarded as having given up his or her right to purchase the monthly ticket for March. The unsold monthly tickets for private car/van for March will be sold at the shroff offices of the car parks concerned on a first-come, first-served basis from 7.30am on February 23, while the unsold monthly tickets for motorcycle and taxi for March will be sold at the shroff offices from 7.30am on February 24.
      
     The seven government car parks are Star Ferry Car Park, City Hall Car Park, Tin Hau Car Park, Shau Kei Wan Car Park, Aberdeen Car Park, Kwai Fong Car Park and Tsuen Wan Car Park.
      
     The car park operators will put up notices in the car parks in advance to inform motorists of the above special arrangements.
      
     Meanwhile, the TD is going to resume the original sale arrangements for monthly parking tickets upon the relaxation of the epidemic. In this connection, car park users are advised to pay attention to the announcements of the TD and the updated notices put up by the car park operators in the car parks.

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.

     The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, together with the Secretary for the Environment, Mr Wong Kam-sing, and the Director of Drainage Services, Ms Alice Pang, visited waste-to-energy and recycling facilities of the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (February 15) to learn more about the work of the Environment Bureau (ENB) in resources circulation and recyclables separation to achieve the vision of "Waste Reduction‧Resources Circulation‧Zero Landfill" set out in the Waste Blueprint for Hong Kong 2035.
 
     The first stop in the visit programme of Mrs Lam and the other officials this morning was one of the EPD's Recycling Stores, GREEN@SHEUNG WAN, where they viewed the new recycling facility in the community. Mrs Lam noted that the EPD has set up nine Recycling Stations, 22 Recycling Stores and over 100 Recycling Spots in the territory at present to form the new GREEN@COMMUNITY recycling network. The Recycling Stores are operated in the form of a store. They have received over 50 000 visitors in less than three months since their operation began and the newly launched GREEN$ electronic participation incentive scheme has also attracted nearly 30 000 household or individual members. Mrs Lam said she was delighted that the new experience of the Recycling Stores has been well received by the public and that they have also welcomed the Recycling Spots, which are more convenient. These initiatives would encourage more people to integrate the practice of waste reduction and recycling into their daily lives. In addition, in support of the Government's objective of creating employment, the ENB has created about 100 temporary jobs under its GREEN@COMMUNITY network, including the provision of job opportunities for young people who aspire to pursue careers in the green industry.
 
     Mrs Lam and the other officials then visited O．PARK1 at Siu Ho Wan on Lantau Island, which is the first organic resources recovery centre in Hong Kong for converting food waste into electricity. They were briefed on the whole process of recycling food waste and converting it into biogas for power generation through the application of advanced biotechnology. As the daily food waste treatment capacity of O．PARK1 is only about 200 tonnes, the EPD is constructing O．PARK2 and putting food waste or sewage sludge anaerobic co-digestion on trial to meet needs.
 
     Next, they went to Tuen Mun to visit T．PARK, another state-of-the-art waste-to-energy facility in Hong Kong, where EPD staff members introduced to Mrs Lam the technology of turning sewage sludge generated from sewage treatment facilities into electricity. The capacity of 2 000 tonnes of sludge that T · PARK handles per day is sufficient to deal with the sludge generated by the sewage treatment works in Hong Kong. Since the opening of T．PARK five years ago, the leisure and educational facilities available for visits and use by members of the public by appointment have been very well received, especially its T · SPA, with close to 280 000 people having visited the park.
 
     As distinguished examples of public architecture, both O．PARK1 and T．PARK have received BEAM Plus green building certification and won a number of awards. For example, T．PARK received many international and local awards in areas including architecture, engineering, sustainable development and design. The innovative designs of O．PARK1 and T．PARK also provide spaces for green education with the integration of learning and conservation facilities. Similarly, WEEE．PARK, the waste electrical and electronic equipment treatment and recycling facility, and I．PARK, an integrated waste treatment facility under construction, also include facilities for educational purposes.
 
     "I announced in the 2020 Policy Address in November last year that Hong Kong would strive to achieve carbon neutrality before 2050. To achieve the goal of carbon neutrality, the ENB must continuously implement environmental measures to support the reduction of carbon emissions and waste, which include making greater efforts in promoting waste reduction and recycling in the community as well as constructing advanced waste-to-energy facilities to further turn waste into resources. Various government bureaux and departments will fully support the ENB to promote the Waste Blueprint for Hong Kong 2035 to realise the vision of 'Waste Reduction‧Resources Circulation‧Zero Landfill'. All the work requires community-wide support. I hope that the Legislative Council can finish scrutinising the bill on charging for municipal solid waste and pass it as early as possible to assist in waste and carbon reduction to combat climate change, build a circular economy and create more job opportunities," Mrs Lam said.