The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:
     
     The Hospital Authority spokesperson today (January 31) announced the passing away of two more patients confirmed with COVID-19 infection yesterday (January 30).
      
     An 83-year-old male patient (case number: 6913) was admitted to Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital for isolation treatment on December 6 due to COVID-19. The patient required mechanical ventilation due to respiratory failure and he was transferred to the Intensive Care Unit on December 11. After treatment, the patient was tested negative for COVID-19 and released from the isolation order by the Department of Health on December 27. His condition continued to deteriorate though and he eventually succumbed at 8.03pm yesterday.
      
     In addition, a 95-year-old male COVID-19 confirmed patient (case number: 9062) with chronic illness, was admitted to United Christian Hospital on January 5 due to shortness of breath. He was subsequently tested positive for COVID-19. His condition continued to deteriorate and he eventually succumbed at 9.38pm last evening.
      
     The hospitals are saddened about the passing away of the patients and would offer the necessary assistance to their families.
      
     Including the above two patients, 176 COVID-19 confirmed patients have passed away in public hospitals so far.

     The Government announced today (January 31) the appointments of three new members and re-appointments of 19 incumbent members to the Chinese Medicine Development Committee (CMDC). Meanwhile, Mr Chan Wing-kwong is appointed as the Chairman of the Chinese Medicine Practice Subcommittee (CMPSC) under the CMDC while Mr Tommy Li Ying-sang is re-appointed as the Chairman of the Chinese Medicines Industry Subcommittee (CMISC).

     All appointments will take effect from February 1, 2021, for a term of two years.
 
     The CMDC is chaired by the Secretary for Food and Health to provide recommendations to the Government concerning the direction and long-term strategy of the future development of Chinese medicine in Hong Kong, focusing on the study of four key areas, namely the development of Chinese medicine services, personnel training and professional development, scientific research and development, and development of the Chinese medicines industry (including Chinese medicines testing). Since its establishment in 2013, the CMDC has provided valuable advice to the Government on various important issues including the development of a Chinese medicine hospital, integrated Chinese-Western medicine development, the Hong Kong Chinese Materia Medica Standards Project and the establishment of the Government Chinese Medicines Testing Institute, etc. The CMPSC and the CMISC have been set up under the CMDC to focus deliberation on respective areas.
 
     The Secretary for Food and Health, Professor Sophia Chan, thanked the outgoing Chairperson of the CMPSC, Ms Feng Jiu, as well as other members of the CMDC and its subcommittees, for their invaluable contributions to the development of Chinese medicine.
 
     The membership of the CMDC and the two sub-committees, effective from February 1, 2021, are as follows:

The CMDC
————–

Chairman
————
Secretary for Food and Health

Non-official Members
—————————
* Mr Chan Wing-kwong
* Professor Chen Hubiao
* Professor Vincent Chung Chi-ho
# Professor Feng Yi-bin 
* Ms Ada Ho Ching-ying
* Mrs Jeanie Hu Leung Tze-wai
* Dr Hui So-fong
# Ms Lam Pui-yan 
* Professor Lee Chack-fan
* Professor Leung Ting-hung
* Mr Tommy Li Ying-sang
* Dr Lui Sing-leung
* Professor Lyu Aiping
* Dr Or Ka-hang
* Ms Tang Mui-fun
# Mr Ting Wing-fai
* Dr Tse Man-li
* Ms Wang Huimin
* Ms Alice Wong Suet-ying
* Ms Wong Yu-yeuk
* Ms Teresa Yeung Siu-lin
* Mr Timothy Yung Tsz-ho

Ex-officio Members
————————
Permanent Secretary for Food and Health (Health)
Commissioner for Innovation and Technology (or representative)
Director of Health (or representative)
Chief Executive of the Hospital Authority (or representative)

Note:
# New appointments
* Re-appointments
 
The CMPSC
—————

Chairman
————
Mr Chan Wing-kwong

Non-official Members
—————————
Mr Dennis Au Cheuk-wing
Mr Chan Kam-wa
Mr Cheung Yi-chung
Mr Cheung Yu-ho William
Dr Kevin Chu Ka-wing 
Dr Ho Wing-tim
Dr Janice Ho Yuen-shan
Mr Lam Chun-pong
Mr Henry Lee Kai-ping
Dr Peggy Lee Siu-pik
Professor Li Min
Ms Lin Wing-han
Ms Alma Ling
Mr Ling Kwan-yee
Dr Liong Ching
Mr Eddie Lo Ting-yu 
Ms Irene Lui Kam-oi
Dr So Tsz-him
Dr Wong Chung-leung
Ms Wong Hung-ngan

Ex-officio Members
————————-
Representative(s) from the Food and Health Bureau
Representative(s) from the Department of Health
Representative(s) from the Hospital Authority
 
The CMISC
—————

Chairman
————
Mr Tommy Li Ying-sang

Non-official Members
—————————
Dr Dawn Au Ching-tung
Ms Michelle Au Yeung Fung-ying
Dr Chan Kei-wai
Mr Cheung Chun-hoi
Dr Priscilla Choy Wai-fun
Mr Kwok Tsz-ming
Mr Dominic Lam Chun-hong
Mr Lam Wing-ho
Ms Li Handong
Ms Winnie Ng Wing-mui
Professor Shen Jiangang
Mr Tam Kwok-leung
Mr Wong Ka-on
Mr Nicholas Wong Lup-hoi
Ms Wong Sau-wan
Mr Edward William Yau Fook-wing
Mr Harry Yeung Kwok-chun
Mr Mason Yip Yue-keung
Dr Zhang Qingling

Ex-officio Members
——————–
Representative(s) from the Food and Health Bureau
Representative(s) from the Department of Health
Representative(s) from the Innovation and Technology Commission

The following is issued on behalf of the Community Care Fund Secretariat:

     The Community Care Fund (CCF) will start accepting applications from two-person households for the second round of the One-off Living Subsidy for Low-income Households Not Living in Public Housing and Not Receiving Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) programme (the 2021 Programme) from tomorrow (February 1).

     Beneficiaries should currently be renting accommodation on a monthly basis (or for longer tenures) in private housing, industrial buildings, commercial buildings or social housing operated by non-governmental organisations (NGOs); renting bedspaces offered under the Home Affairs Department's Singleton Hostel Programme or bedspaces in hostels operated by NGOs for rehabilitated offenders; residing in temporary housing; living on board vessels; or homeless. Their monthly income must not exceed the specified limits. They should not be receiving CSSA or own any property in Hong Kong. For persons renting accommodation in private housing, industrial buildings, commercial buildings or social housing, their monthly rent should not exceed the specified rent limits. The income and rent limits for two-person households are $22,000 and $11,000 respectively.

     Eligible households that benefited from the first round of the Programme (the 2020 Programme) which was launched during the period from July 2 to November 30, 2020 (i.e. old applicant households) can also benefit, among those two-person households will receive notification for confirming eligibility from the Secretariat starting from February. Old applicant households who still meet the eligibility criteria of the 2021 Programme should complete the reply slip with appendices (if appropriate) attached to the notification and return it to the service unit which assisted to process the application of the household concerned under the 2020 Programme or the Secretariat to confirm eligibility on or before May 31. Upon verification of the eligibility, the Secretariat will send notification of the eligibility verification result to the applicant households. The Secretariat will arrange to disburse the subsidy to eligible households according to their chosen method under the 2020 Programme (i.e. either through bank transfer or by order cheque).

     If there are changes in the situation of old applicant households (such as there are new eligible members and/or changes of the specified applicant), they are still required to complete the reply slip and return it to the Secretariat. The Secretariat will forward these households' information to the relevant service units, which will contact the households to submit a specified application form (i.e. Form 1).

     New applicant households should submit application forms (i.e. Form 2) together with copies of all the required documents to respective service units near their residences either in person or by post starting from tomorrow. Households comprising solely elderly persons aged 60 or above, households comprising solely young persons aged 24 or below or the homeless can submit applications to elderly service units, youth service units or service units accepting applications from the homeless respectively. Owing to the latest development of COVID-19, some service units may have suspended service or are only providing limited non-emergency service. Applicants are advised to submit applications by post. Applicants who wish to submit applications to the service units in person are suggested to call the service units for the operating hours. Service units may require applicants to make bookings in advance.

     The Secretariat and service units will vet each application, including verifying the eligibility, checking the supporting documents submitted, and conducting home visits/means tests on selected applications. The Secretariat will issue notifications of results to applicants after vetting applications and disburse the subsidy to eligible households. If households choose to receive the subsidy through bank transfer, the subsidy will be deposited into the bank accounts as specified in their application forms through autopay. For households who choose to receive the subsidy in the form of order cheques, the service units concerned will inform them to collect the cheques in person at the service units before the specified period.

     The 2021 Programme was launched on January 4 to relieve the financial pressure on low-income households. The Secretariat started accepting new applications from one-person households on the same day. The CCF will accept applications from and verify the eligibility of three-person households and all households from March 1 and April 1 to May 31 respectively.

     For details of the 2021 Programme, please visit the CCF website (www.communitycarefund.hk). Enquiries can be addressed to the enquiry hotline of the Programme at 2180 6666 or the 220 service units assisting in the implementation of the Programme.

The following is issued on behalf of the Liquor Licensing Board:
 
     The Liquor Licensing Board (LLB) will meet on Tuesday (February 2) to consider two applications for new issue, renewal and transfer of liquor licences.
 
     The applications are (not in order of discussion):
 
Hong Kong:
—————
Freeze Lounge in Central
 
New Territories:
———————
THE THIRD in Yuen Long
 
     The meeting will be held at 9.45am in the conference room, Room 102, 1/F, 258 Queen's Road East, Wan Chai. In response to the latest developments of COVID-19, to avoid the gathering of people in an enclosed environment and to safeguard the health of all participants, public seats will not be available for all open hearings of the LLB in the interim.

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.