The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (December 23) that in view of notifications from the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) about outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N8 avian influenza in Koszalinski District of Zachodnio-Pomorskie in Poland and in Cloppenburg and Oldenburg of the State of Niedersachsen, Germany, 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, in the first nine months of this year, Hong Kong imported about 9 900 tonnes of frozen poultry meat and about 21.32 million poultry eggs from Poland, and about 2 500 tonnes of frozen poultry meat and about 880 000 poultry eggs from Germany.
      
     "The CFS has contacted the Polish and German 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.
 

The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:
 
     The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) today (December 23) published the December 2020 issue of its Quarterly Bulletin. This issue of Quarterly Bulletin carries a regular article on the banking environment. 
      
     The Quarterly Bulletin can be viewed on and downloaded from the HKMA website.

The following is issued on behalf of the Judiciary:
 
     The Chief Executive has, on the recommendation of the Judicial Officers Recommendation Commission and with the endorsement of the Legislative Council, made the following appointment:
 
     Non-permanent judge from another common law jurisdiction of the Court of Final Appeal
     —————————————————————————————————
     (for a term of three years commencing January 1, 2021)
     The Right Honourable Lord Patrick Hodge

     The effective exchange rate index for the Hong Kong dollar on Wednesday, December 23, 2020 is 101.3 (down 0.1 against yesterday's index).

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     The spokesperson for Tuen Mun Hospital (TMH) today (December 23) announced that a patient confirmed with COVID-19 passed away today.
 
     A 77-year-old male patient (case number: 6691) with chronic disease was admitted to a Pok Oi Hospital isolation ward from a quarantine centre on December 3 due to fever. He later tested positive for COVID-19 and was transferred to an isolation ward of TMH for further treatment. His condition continued to deteriorate and he eventually succumbed at 12.43pm today.
 
     The hospital is saddened by the passing away of the patient and will offer necessary assistance to his family.
 
     Including the above patient, 129 COVID-19 confirmed patients have passed away in public hospitals so far.