Tag Archives: China

     A 60-year-old man was sentenced to immediate imprisonment for four weeks by the Kowloon City Magistrates’ Courts today (May 21) for violating the Compulsory Quarantine of Certain Persons Arriving at Hong Kong Regulation (Cap. 599C).
 
     The man was earlier issued a compulsory quarantine order stating that he must conduct quarantine at home for 14 days. Before the expiry of the quarantine order, he left the place of quarantine without reasonable excuse nor permission given by an authorised officer and was stopped by staff of the Immigration Department at a border control point. He was charged with contravening sections 8(1) and 8(5) of the Regulation and was sentenced by the Kowloon City Magistrates’ Courts today to immediate imprisonment for four weeks.
 
     A spokesman for the Department of Health (DH) said the sentence sends a clear message to the community that breaching a quarantine order is a criminal offence and that the Government will not tolerate such actions. The spokesman reiterated that compliance with quarantine orders is of paramount importance in Hong Kong’s fight against COVID-19.
 
     Pursuant to the Regulation, 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. The DH solemnly reminds persons under quarantine to comply with the statutory requirements and conduct quarantine for 14 days. read more

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:      As at noon today (May 21), three COVID-19 confirmed patients (case numbers: 532, 789 and 1046) were discharged from hospital in the past 24 hours. So far, a t… read more

     The Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Christopher Hui, today (May 21) visited the Inland Revenue Department, the Treasury, and the Census and Statistics Department, which are under the purview of the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau, to understand their operations after full resumption of public services.
 
     Accompanied by the Commissioner of Inland Revenue, Mr Richard Wong, Mr Hui first visited the Document Processing Centre of the Inland Revenue Department where he observed the processing of tax returns and e-filing of employers’ returns. Since the end of last year, the department had started to accept payments of taxes through the Faster Payment System to provide the public with another convenient means to settle tax payments. Mr Hui noted that arrangements are being made to extend the service to other government departments. He also toured the Business Registration Office to understand its overall operation and the counter service arrangements for business registrations under the COVID-19 epidemic, which helped control crowd gatherings and reduce the risk of virus transmission.
 
     Mr Hui then continued his visit at the Treasury in the company of the Director of Accounting Services, Mr Charlix Wong. Mr Hui chatted with the frontline staff of various divisions to learn about their services, including the work progress of the dedicated team in preparing for dispersing $10,000 under the cash payout scheme. He expressed gratitude to the staff for their contribution to the implementation of different relief measures that helped tide the public over the economic difficulties.
 
　　In his last stop, Mr Hui, accompanied by the Permanent Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury (Financial Services), Ms Michelle Li, visited the Census and Statistics Department. He was briefed by the Commissioner for Census and Statistics, Ms Marion Chan, on the work of the department and its preparation for the 2021 Population Census.
 
     Mr Hui said, “Conducted once in every 10 years, the population census aims to obtain up-to-date benchmark information on the demographic and socio-economic characteristics of the population and on its geographical distribution. Such information is vital to the Government for planning and policy formulation. I call on the community to give support as they will help the Government draw up a blueprint for Hong Kong’s future development.”
 
     Before ending his tour, Mr Hui visited the Service Centre on Trade Statistics and Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviewing Centre, where he chatted with frontline staff to take a closer look at their daily work.
 
     Mr Hui said, “I really appreciate colleagues for going the extra mile to maintain public services in the past few months, and for their efforts in handling jobs with the greatest flexibility amid the pandemic. In the course of economic recovery, I appeal to colleagues to create a more business-friendly environment for the benefit and convenience of the public, by means such as adopting a wider use of technologies, putting in place more competitive tax arrangements or removing procedural barriers, which will help our people cope with the economic downturn.” read more

     The Transport and Housing Bureau said today (May 21) that in accordance with the Compulsory Quarantine of Certain Persons Arriving at Hong Kong (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulation 2020, the Government has launched the mechanism for enterprises with an operating base relating to logistics, port and/or shipping business in the Mainland to apply for exemption from the compulsory quarantine arrangement. The bureau has started accepting applications. 
 
     At present, people travelling to the Mainland would be subject to the 14-day compulsory quarantine requirement imposed by the Mainland authorities. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government is discussing with the relevant authorities in the Mainland on mutual recognition of COVID-19 testing results conducted by recognised medical laboratories, with a view to exempting the quarantine requirement for Hong Kong travellers to these places. Details of the arrangement will be announced when available. 

     The Compulsory Quarantine of Certain Persons Arriving at Hong Kong (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulation 2020 commenced on April 29 this year, amending the Compulsory Quarantine of Certain Persons Arriving at Hong Kong Regulation (Cap. 599C) (the amended Regulation). The expiry date of the amended Regulation has been extended to June 7 this year. In accordance with the newly added section 4(1)(b) in the amended Regulation, the Chief Secretary for Administration may designate any person or category of persons for exemption from the compulsory quarantine arrangement if he is satisfied that the person’s or persons’ travelling is necessary for purposes relating to business activities in the interest of Hong Kong’s economic development.
 
     In accordance with the above-mentioned provision, the Chief Secretary for Administration has exempted the following category of persons in respect of “Logistics, Port and/or Shipping Business Activities in the Mainland” from the compulsory quarantine arrangement with effect from May 19 this year:
 
(a) either the owner of an enterprise with a valid business registration certificate issued under the Business Registration Ordinance (Cap. 310) and having an operating base relating to logistics, port and/or shipping business in the Mainland, and up to one person employed and so authorised by the enterprise; or
 
(b) up to two persons employed and so authorised by such an enterprise as described in (a).
 
     An exempted person must only travel for the purpose of the intended logistics, port and/or shipping-related business activities as approved and stay in the city/area where his/her operating base is located. The exempted person must take every precautionary measure to ensure personal hygiene and avoid unnecessary social contact. After returning to Hong Kong, the exempted person will be subject to medical surveillance arranged by the Department of Health for a period of 14 days. The person will be required to wear masks and check body temperature daily, and report to the Department of Health on any discomfort.
 
     Details of the exemption arrangement and the application form are in Annex 1 and Annex 2 respectively. The application form can be downloaded from the website of the Transport and Housing Bureau (www.thb.gov.hk/eng/forms/index.htm).
 
     Eligible enterprises should submit the completed application form with all required supporting documents to the bureau by email (mplexemptions@thb.gov.hk) or fax (2523 0030). In processing the applications, the bureau may consult the relevant trade associations or institutes, as well as the relevant departments when necessary. The bureau will issue authorisation letters to the exempted persons, setting out the conditions for exemption.
 
     For enquiries, please call 3509 8211. read more

     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health has announced that as of 4pm today (May 21), the CHP was investigating eight additional confirmed cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), taking the number of cases to 1 064 in Hong Kong so far (comprising 1 063 confirmed cases and one probable case).

     The newly reported cases announced today involve four males and four females aged between 11 and 73. All of them had travel history during the incubation period. The CHP’s epidemiological investigations and relevant contact tracing on the confirmed cases are ongoing. For case details and contact tracing information, please see the Annex.

     The CHP urged members of the public to maintain an appropriate social distance with other people as far as possible in their daily lives. In particular, they should go out less and avoid social activities such as meal gatherings or other gatherings to reduce the chance of infection through contact with infected persons, who may not present any symptoms, and minimise the risk of outbreak clusters emerging in the community.

     A spokesman for the CHP said, “Given that the situation of COVID-19 infection remains severe and that there is a continuous increase in the number of cases reported around the world, members of the public are strongly urged to avoid all non-essential travel outside Hong Kong.

     “The CHP also strongly urges the public to maintain at all times strict personal and environmental hygiene, which is key to personal protection against infection and prevention of the spread of the disease in the community. On a personal level, members of the public should wear a surgical mask if having respiratory symptoms, taking public transport or staying in crowded places. They should also perform hand hygiene frequently, especially before touching the mouth, nose or eyes.

     “As for household environmental hygiene, members of the public are advised to maintain drainage pipes properly, regularly pour water into drain outlets (U-traps) and cover all floor drain outlets when they are not in use. After using the toilet, they should put the toilet lid down before flushing to avoid spreading germs.”

     The CHP will report the cases to the World Health Organization, the National Health Commission, the Health Commission of Guangdong Province, relevant health authorities and the Hospital Authority.

     The CHP has set up hotlines (2125 1111 and 2125 1122), which operate from 8am to midnight daily, for public enquiries. As at 4pm today, a total of 119 172 calls had been received.

     Moreover, the Government has launched the website “COVID-19 Thematic Website” (www.coronavirus.gov.hk) for announcing the latest updates on various news on the COVID-19 infection and health advice to help the public understand the latest updates.

     To prevent pneumonia and respiratory tract infection, members of the public should always maintain good personal and environmental hygiene. They are advised to:
• Wear a surgical mask when taking public transport or staying in crowded places. It is important to wear a mask properly, including performing hand hygiene before wearing and after removing a mask;
• Perform hand hygiene frequently, especially before touching the mouth, nose or eyes, after touching public installations such as handrails or door knobs, or when hands are contaminated by respiratory secretions after coughing or sneezing;
• Maintain drainage pipes properly and regularly (about once a week) pour about half a litre of water into each drain outlet (U-trap) to ensure environmental hygiene;
• Cover all floor drain outlets when they are not in use;
• After using the toilet, put the toilet lid down before flushing to avoid spreading germs;
• Wash hands with liquid soap and water, and rub for at least 20 seconds. Then rinse with water and dry with a disposable paper towel. If hand washing facilities are not available, or when hands are not visibly soiled, performing hand hygiene with 70 to 80 per cent alcohol-based handrub is an effective alternative;
• Cover your mouth and nose with tissue paper when sneezing or coughing. Dispose of soiled tissues into a lidded rubbish bin, then wash hands thoroughly; and
• If having respiratory symptoms, wear a surgical mask, refrain from work or attending class at school, avoid going to crowded places and seek medical advice promptly. read more