The Secretary for Development, Mr Michael Wong, signed today (December 28) the new agreement on the supply of Dongjiang water to Hong Kong from 2021 to 2023 with the Director General of the Department of Water Resources of Guangdong Province, Mr Wang Lixin. The Director of Water Supplies, Mr Lo Kwok-wah, also attended the signing ceremony held online.
 
     Under the new agreement, the previously adopted "package deal lump sum" approach is enhanced to a "package deal deductible sum" approach in which the water price will be deducted according to the actual amount of Dongjiang water supplied. In essence, the continual adoption of a package deal approach to stipulate an annual supply ceiling under the new agreement can guarantee Hong Kong a stable yet flexible supply of Dongjiang water to meet the city's actual needs. The approach enables reliable water supply to be maintained – even under extreme drought conditions with a return period of once in 100 years. In addition, the new agreement will introduce a water price deduction mechanism under which the annual ceiling water price will be subject to the deduction of a sum (by multiplying a unit rate to the difference between the annual supply ceiling and the actual amount of water supplied) to arrive at the annual actual water price. 
 
     Under the "package deal deductible sum" approach, the actual water price to be paid should be lower than that under the "package deal lump sum" approach currently in place. The "package deal deductible sum" approach also addresses the requests by the public for payment based on the quantity of Dongjiang water supplied. The "package deal deductible sum" approach should be maintained at least up to 2029. It is estimated that under the mechanism in the new agreement, based on the 2021 price level, the maximum saving within this nine-year period is $324 million.
 
     The water prices in the new agreement will be increased by 1.33 per cent annually, which generally reflects the changes of the relevant price indices of Guangdong and Hong Kong and the exchange rate between the Renminbi and the Hong Kong dollar. In view of the prevailing challenging economic environment arising from the COVID-19 epidemic, Guangdong further agreed that the actual water price for 2021 is to be frozen at the 2020 level to ease the financial burden of Hong Kong. Under the above-mentioned increase, the annual water prices from 2021 to 2023 should not be more than $4,821.41 million, $4,950.51 million and $5,016.35 million respectively.
 
     In addition, Mr Wong held a working meeting online with the Guangdong authorities to exchange views on the Dongjiang water supply and water quality monitoring work. He thanked the Guangdong authorities for taking various measures over the years in enhancing the water quality of Dongjiang water. Under the new agreement, Guangdong will maintain the quality of the Dongjiang water supply to Hong Kong in compliance with Type II waters in the Environmental Quality Standards for Surface Water, which is the highest national standard for surface water applicable to human consumption.

    

     A 43-year-old woman was sentenced to immediate imprisonment for five weeks by the Tuen Mun Magistrates' Courts today (December 28) for violating the Compulsory Quarantine of Certain Persons Arriving at Hong Kong Regulation (Cap. 599C) (the Regulation).

     The woman was earlier issued a compulsory quarantine order stating that she must conduct quarantine at home for 14 days. Before the expiry of the quarantine order, she had taken off her wristband and left the place of quarantine on July 30 without reasonable excuse nor permission given by an authorised officer. She was charged with contravening sections 8(1), 8(4) and 8(5) of the Regulation and was sentenced by the Tuen Mun Magistrates' Courts today to immediate imprisonment for five weeks. 

     Pursuant to the Regulation, starting from February 8, save for exempted persons, all persons who have stayed in the Mainland, Macao or Taiwan in the 14 days preceding arrival in Hong Kong, regardless of their nationality or travel documents, will be subject to compulsory quarantine for 14 days. Moreover, pursuant to the Compulsory Quarantine of Persons Arriving at Hong Kong from Foreign Places Regulation (Cap. 599E), starting from March 19, all persons arriving from countries or territories outside China would also be subject to compulsory quarantine for 14 days. Breaching a quarantine order is a criminal offence and offenders are subject to a maximum fine of $25,000 and imprisonment for six months.

     A spokesman for the Department of Health said the sentence sends a clear message to the community that breaching a compulsory quarantine order is a criminal offence that the Government will not tolerate, and solemnly reminded the public to comply with the Regulation. As of today, a total of 90 persons have been convicted by the courts for breaching compulsory quarantine orders and have received sentences including immediate imprisonment for up to three months or a fine of $15,000. The spokesman reiterated that resolute actions will be taken against anyone who has breached the relevant regulations.

     A 43-year-old woman was sentenced to immediate imprisonment for five weeks by the Tuen Mun Magistrates' Courts today (December 28) for violating the Compulsory Quarantine of Certain Persons Arriving at Hong Kong Regulation (Cap. 599C) (the Regulation).

     The woman was earlier issued a compulsory quarantine order stating that she must conduct quarantine at home for 14 days. Before the expiry of the quarantine order, she had taken off her wristband and left the place of quarantine on July 30 without reasonable excuse nor permission given by an authorised officer. She was charged with contravening sections 8(1), 8(4) and 8(5) of the Regulation and was sentenced by the Tuen Mun Magistrates' Courts today to immediate imprisonment for five weeks.

     Pursuant to the Regulation, starting from February 8, save for exempted persons, all persons who have stayed in the Mainland, Macao or Taiwan in the 14 days preceding arrival in Hong Kong, regardless of their nationality or travel documents, will be subject to compulsory quarantine for 14 days. Moreover, pursuant to the Compulsory Quarantine of Persons Arriving at Hong Kong from Foreign Places Regulation (Cap. 599E), starting from December 25, all persons arriving at Hong Kong (either via the airport or land boundary control points) who have stayed in places outside China on the day of arrival at Hong Kong or during the 21 days before that day have to undergo compulsory quarantine for 21 days in designated quarantine hotels. Breaching a quarantine order is a criminal offence and offenders are subject to a maximum fine of $25,000 and imprisonment for six months.

     A spokesman for the Department of Health said the sentence sends a clear message to the community that breaching a compulsory quarantine order is a criminal offence that the Government will not tolerate, and solemnly reminded the public to comply with the Regulation. As of today, a total of 90 persons have been convicted by the courts for breaching compulsory quarantine orders and have received sentences including immediate imprisonment for up to three months or a fine of $15,000. The spokesman reiterated that resolute actions will be taken against anyone who has breached the relevant regulations.

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     As at 9am today (December 28), 52 COVID-19 confirmed patients were discharged from hospital in the last 24 hours. So far, a total of 7 526 patients with confirmed or probable infection have been discharged.
 
     At present, there are 681 negative pressure rooms in public hospitals with 1 241 negative pressure beds activated. A total of 916 confirmed patients are currently hospitalised in 23 public hospitals and a community treatment facility, among which 51 patients are in critical condition, 65 are in serious condition and the remaining 800 patients are in stable condition.
 
     The Hospital Authority will maintain close contact with the Centre for Health Protection to monitor the latest developments and to inform the public and healthcare workers on the latest information in a timely manner. 
 
     Details of the above-mentioned patients are as follows:
 

     With the pressure over northern China rising significantly today (December 28), the Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) forecasts that its associated intense cold surge will affect Hong Kong from this Wednesday (December 30). Members of the public should prepare for the coming cold weather.

     The HKO forecasts that local weather will turn considerably colder this Wednesday and Thursday, with high winds especially offshore and on high ground. On New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, temperatures are expected to drop to around seven to eight degrees Celsius in the urban areas, and a couple of degrees lower in the New Territories. Morning temperatures will remain low in the following few days.

     The HKO urges members of the public to prepare for the persistent cold weather in a timely manner, such as having sufficient warm clothing in place and taking appropriate safety measures to protect themselves and their families under low temperatures. Members of the public should also take care of the elderly and persons with chronic medical conditions and render assistance to them as appropriate. When participating in outdoor activities, especially hiking, members of the public should stay vigilant and avoid prolonged exposure to wintry winds that may lead to hypothermia. They should also beware of the high winds, which will make people feel especially cold.

     The weather will be fine and very dry during New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. To ensure safety, extra caution should be exercised when handling fire, using heaters or fan heaters.

     The public can obtain the latest weather forecast and the nine-day weather forecast by using the HKO's Dial-a-Weather service at 1878 200, or the HKO's mobile app "MyObservatory", or visiting the HKO's website at the following links:

     Weather forecast: www.weather.gov.hk/en/wxinfo/currwx/flw.htm

     Nine-day weather forecast: www.weather.gov.hk/en/wxinfo/currwx/fnd.htm