The following is issued on behalf of the Executive Council Secretariat:
 
     The Non-official Members of the Executive Council (ExCo) today (April 8) issued the following statement:

     The Government has announced a package of measures to support individuals and businesses affected by COVID-19. The ExCo Non-official Members support the Government in putting forward these bold and prompt measures as a decisive response to the challenges that the coronavirus pandemic posed to the economy of Hong Kong.

     The ExCo Non-official Members note that the measures announced by the Government are all-encompassing in scope and unprecedented in scale and intensity. The measures include assistance to businesses from all sectors, programmes for retaining jobs, as well as relief measures for easing the financial burden of the public. These measures should alleviate the pandemic's effect on the economy and pave the way for economic recovery.

     Members also note that while the challenges currently faced by Hong Kong are immense, these challenges can be overcome so long as different sectors of the community and the Government can join hands and work in concert. To support the decision of the Chief Executive and her team in taking a pay cut and encourage different sectors of the community to show solidarity with the people, all ExCo Non-official Members will, further to the donation of one month's honorarium to charitable organisations in March this year, reduce their honorarium by ten percent for one year in response to the pay cut of the Chief Executive and her team.

     A man who went missing in Mong Kok has been located.

     Lee Wing-cheong, aged 54, went missing after he left an elderly home on Tai Tsun Street on March 27 morning. Staff of the elderly home made a report to Police on March 28.

     The man was located on Kwai Chung Hospital Road, Cheung Sha Wan on April 1 morning. No suspicious circumstances were detected.

     Two travellers who smuggled rhino horns and were convicted for violating the Protection of Endangered Species of Animals and Plants Ordinance (Cap. 586) were sentenced to imprisonment for 26 months at the District Court today (April 8).
 
     A spokesman for the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) said that the two men arrived in Hong Kong on February 14, 2019, from Johannesburg, South Africa. About 40 kilograms of rhino horns were seized from their two check-in carton boxes by Customs officers.
 
     Subsequent to follow-up investigation, the AFCD charged the two men with illegal import of specimens of species listed in Appendix I to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). They were convicted at the District Court today. With 39 months' imprisonment as the starting point for sentencing, the defendants were sentenced to 26 months behind bars after a one-third reduction as they pleaded guilty. It is the highest penalty handed out under the Protection of Endangered Species of Animals and Plants Ordinance for illegal import of endangered species so far.
 
     Rhinos are listed in Appendix I to the CITES and regulated under the Ordinance in Hong Kong. Any person importing, exporting or possessing specimens of endangered species not in accordance with the Ordinance will be liable to a maximum fine of $10 million and imprisonment for 10 years. The specimens will also be forfeited upon conviction. Members of the public are urged not to break the law.
 
     To enquire about the control of endangered species or to report suspected irregularities, the public can call the AFCD on 1823 or visit the website www.cites.hk.

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:
     
     The Hospital Authority (HA) spokesperson today (April 8) said that 12 general out-patient clinics (see table below) will remain normal service during the coming Easter Holidays (April 10 to 13) to serve the community. Members of the public are reminded to make advance booking through the telephone system as usual for an appointment.  
      
     Subsequent to a staff member of Shek Wu Hui Jockey Club General Outpatient Clinic being confirmed with COVID-19 infection, the concerned clinic will suspend the service originally scheduled during the Easter Holidays for follow up arrangement.
      
     The spokesperson remarked that The Accident & Emergency (A&E) Departments in public hospitals will also operate as usual during the holiday to serve the patients with urgent medical needs. While the Emergency Response Level in public hospitals has been activated in response to the latest situation of COVID-19, infection control measures have been enhanced with universal masking for all persons entering public hospitals and clinics. Non-urgent patients are advised to consider seeking consultations at general out-patient clinics, private doctors or the 24-hour clinics of private hospitals.
      
     The latest A&E waiting time information is available on the HA website and the "HA Touch" mobile app. Moreover, members of the public are welcome to call or browse the following hotlines and websites for the required information on related clinic service of family doctor:

     1. Primary Care Directory website: www.pcdirectory.gov.hk
     2. Hong Kong Medical Association website: www.hkma.org
     3. Hong Kong Medical Association MediLink: 90000-222-322 (Operating from April 10 to 13)
 

Consultation Hours:
April 10 and April 13 (Friday and Monday)
9am to 1pm and 2pm to 5pm
 
April 11 and April 12 (Saturday and Sunday)
9am to 1pm

The following is issued on behalf of the Judiciary:

     The Judiciary today (April 8) announced that in view of the latest public health considerations, the General Adjourned Period (GAP) will continue from April 14 (Tuesday) to May 3 (Sunday), and be subject to review having regard to the prevailing public health situation. The Judiciary wishes to again underline the fact that the public's health and safety, including that of court users and Judiciary staff, remain paramount considerations in the handling of court operations by the Judiciary.

Remote Hearing
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     The Judiciary issued on April 2 a Guidance Note for Remote Hearings for Civil Business in the High Court, which sets out the practice for remote hearings by video conferencing facilities (VCF) in civil cases in the Court of Appeal (CA) and the Court of First Instance (CFI) of the High Court during GAP. In this regard, two cases have already been heard by way of VCF on April 6 and 7 at the CA and the CFI respectively. The proceedings for both cases were conducted smoothly and further remote hearings using VCF may be held for suitable cases in the near future.

     The Judiciary will continue to work closely with the legal profession and other stakeholders to further promote and explore the use of remote hearings.

Court Proceedings
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     All court/tribunal hearings will generally be adjourned during this period unless they are urgent and essential business as directed by the presiding Judges and Judicial Officers. Parties will be notified only if their hearings will be held as scheduled during this period.

     Other urgent and essential hearings will continue to be handled in accordance with the established mechanisms, including the Duty Judge system. However, given the recent rapid changes in the public health situation and having regard to the Government's prevailing preventive measures, the Judiciary will continue to monitor the situation very closely to see if any refinement to the list of urgent and essential hearings and/or matters during the period may be needed. The updated list of urgent and essential hearings and matters is uploaded onto the Judiciary website, and court users and the public are strongly urged to check the website regularly as the list may be subject to change at short notice due to the rapidly changing public health situation.

     Three Magistrates' Courts (MCs) will operate each day from Monday to Friday, while Saturday and holiday sittings will be adopted for Saturdays and public holidays respectively as usual. The detailed arrangements are as follows:
 

Registries and Offices
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     Registries and offices at various levels of courts and tribunals will remain closed during this period, but enhanced measures will be suitably introduced to support the revised scope of urgent and essential business. The list of business that will be handled by the registries during this period is uploaded onto the Judiciary website. Again, court users and the public are strongly urged to check the website regularly as the list may be subject to change at short notice due to the rapidly changing public health situation.

Preventive and Crowd Management Measures
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     The Judiciary will continue to put in place appropriate preventive and crowd management measures for the health protection of all people who are required to enter and remain in the court premises for urgent and essential business. Court users are required to have their body temperature taken and wear a surgical mask before they are allowed to enter and remain in the court premises.

     To support the above arrangements, necessary queuing and other crowd management measures, as well as security controls to limit the number of court users entering and remaining in the Judiciary premises, will be put in place as appropriate.

     To maintain social distancing, chessboard seating arrangement is adopted in courtrooms and lobbies with seating capacity cut by half. Additional holding spaces or waiting areas are provided whenever possible. Broadcasting of proceedings is arranged on a needs basis. Capacity limits are set for confined areas such as registries and offices to avoid crowding of users.

     Parties, legal representatives and other court users who are subject to any quarantine requirement or medical surveillance of the Government should not come to the Judiciary premises but to as soon as practicable apply to the court for permission of absence or inform the court with reasons for absence as appropriate.

     Information on the detailed arrangements will be provided and uploaded onto the Judiciary website. Court users are strongly advised to check the updated information on the Judiciary website, and follow the advice of the Judiciary staff and security personnel when they attend court premises for court business.

     For enquiries regarding general arrangements on the court businesses during the period, the following hotlines are being operated from Monday to Friday 10am to 1pm and 2pm to 4pm:
 

• General Information: 2869 0869
• Court of Final Appeal: 2123 0123
• High Court: 2523 2212
• Probate: 2840 1683
• District Court: 2845 5696
• Family Court: 2840 1218
• Lands Tribunal: 2771 3034
• Labour Tribunal: 2625 0020
• Small Claims Tribunal: 2877 4068
• Magistrates' Courts: 2677 8373

     The Judiciary will continue to post updated information, including Daily Cause Lists, messages related to the Judiciary's arrangements arising from public health considerations, and advice to court users visiting the courts, on the Judiciary website (www.judiciary.hk). Court users are advised to check the website for updated information as necessary.