Month: July 2025

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The Department of Health (DH) announced today (July 22) that it had received a notification from the supplier of a rapid antigen test (RAT) stating that a product’s Instruction for Use (IFU) needed to be updated to avoid users misinterpreting the test results. The product information is as follows:

Name: Ten Respiratory Pathogens Antigen Test Kit
Supplier: SAVEWO Distribution Limited
Manufacturer: Anhui Deepblue Medical Technology Co., Ltd
Model number: RP1011N-1
Lot numbers: 20250301 and 20250501

According to information provided by the supplier in Hong Kong, the product in question is an all-in-one test for 10 types of respiratory pathogens, including influenza, COVID-19 and H5N1 avian influenza. It has been distributed in the local retail market since March this year. Following internal testing, the manufacturer has updated the IFU to state that if the H5N1 detection zone is positive but the FIuA+B/COV detection zone is negative, the H5N1 avian influenza test result is invalid.

The supplier has uploaded the updated IFU to its official website. Members of the public who have purchased the affected batch of products are advised to contact the supplier at 5503 2370 if they have any queries regarding their RAT test results.

The product concerned is a Class C (moderate-high risk) In Vitro Diagnostic Medical Device and is not listed under the DH’s Medical Device Administrative Control System (MDACS).

The DH reminded members of the public that all RATs have limitations, including the possibility of false negative or false positive results. Therefore, RAT test results can only be used for reference purposes and cannot replace the professional diagnosis by doctors. Members of the public should consult healthcare professionals if they have doubts about the results of RATs.

Separately, the DH has introduced a voluntary MDACS, under which a listing system for medical devices and traders, as well as a post-market monitoring system, is in place to ensure that medical devices supplied in Hong Kong meet the safety, quality and performance requirements. Information on listed medical devices is uploaded to the website of the DH’s Medical Device Division (www.mdd.gov.hk/en/mdacs/search-database/list-md/index.html). The DH advised members of the public to purchase medical devices listed under the MDACS wherever possible to ensure that the products meet the standards on safety, quality and performance.

The DH will continue to follow up on the incident and take appropriate action.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     The Digital Policy Office (DPO) announced today (July 22) that the “iAM Smart” mobile app is rolling out new functions progressively in its “Personal Assistant” page to enable viewing and paying of different government bills.
 
     Members of the public can now use the latest version of the “iAM Smart” mobile app (version 4.4) to check the balance of water bills from the Water Supplies Department (WSD) and Speedpost bills from Hongkong Post and pay the bills via the Faster Payment System.
 
     The DPO and WSD will continue to work closely to introduce more new functions in “iAM Smart” in the coming months. By then, members of the public will be able to use “iAM Smart” to check the “to-do” items related to their WSD accounts (for example, reminders to pay water bills) and the application status of various services (such as the application status of a fishing licence and a plumber’s licence from the WSD).
 
     The DPO will continue to work with different government departments and public and private organisations to include more services under the “Personal Assistant” page of “iAM Smart”, enabling members of the public to enjoy a better personalised service experience and a more convenient smart lifestyle.
 
     The “iAM Smart” one-stop personalised digital service platform has already accumulated over 3.5 million registered users and connects more than 1 200 online services from government, public and private organisations, as well as government e-Forms. The DPO will continue upgrading the “iAM Smart”, with the goal of providing one-stop digital services for all digital government services on the “iAM Smart” platform this year, making it the “single portal for online government services”. For more information on the online services supported by “iAM Smart”, please visit the “iAM Smart” thematic website at www.iamsmart.gov.hk/en/e-service.html.
 
     The “iAM Smart” app supports iOS and Android operating systems, and mobile phones with biometric authentication activated. Members of the public can download and use the latest version of the app for free from the Apple App Store, Huawei AppGallery, and Google Play, or by visiting the “iAM Smart” thematic website at www.iamsmart.gov.hk/en/download.html.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     The Government Property Agency (GPA) is inviting tenders for a three-year licence of a fee-paying public car park on portions of the Second Floor of New Territories (Shatin) Forensic Medicine Centre, 7 Lower Shing Mun Road, Tai Wai, Sha Tin, New Territories, Hong Kong.

     The premises should only be used to operate a fee-paying public car park for the parking of private cars.

     The tender notice was uploaded today (July 22) to the GPA Property Portal: www.gpaproperty.gov.hk/en/index.html. Tender documents are available for collection at the GPA, 9/F, South Tower, West Kowloon Government Offices, 11 Hoi Ting Road, Yau Ma Tei, Kowloon, during the period from 9am to 6pm from Monday to Friday, except public holidays. The documents can also be downloaded from the GPA Property Portal.

     Interested tenderers who wish to conduct a site inspection of the premises should make a prior appointment with the GPA by calling 3842 6783 by July 29.

     Tenderers must submit their tenders by placing them in the Government Logistics Department Tender Box placed on the Ground Floor, North Point Government Offices, 333 Java Road, North Point, Hong Kong, before noon on August 12. Late tenders will not be accepted.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

Attention TV/radio announcers:

Please broadcast the following as soon as possible:

     Here is an item of interest to swimmers.

     The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced today (July 22) that Shek O Beach and Big Wave Bay Beach in Southern District, Hong Kong Island, are temporarily closed until further notice for maintenance of the shark prevention nets. Beachgoers are advised not to swim at the beaches.

     Red flags at the beaches were hoisted earlier due to big waves at Shek O Beach and “Very Poor” predicted water quality at Big Wave Bay Beach, according to the Beach Water Quality Forecast System.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     The Inland Revenue Department (IRD) launched three new tax portals under eTAX today (July 22), namely the Individual Tax Portal (ITP), Business Tax Portal (BTP) and Tax Representative Portal (TRP), to further enhance the efficiency and user experience of electronic tax services.

     An IRD spokesman said, “The IRD is committed to promoting tax digitalisation and has been upgrading electronic tax services to provide convenience to taxpayers and enhance the efficiency, reliability and accuracy of return filing. The three new tax portals provide electronic tax services to individuals, businesses, and tax service agents respectively, allowing them to handle tax matters conveniently and efficiently.”

     The ITP offers a centralised platform for users to manage their personal tax matters, providing functions such as tax return filing, personal particulars updates and viewing of tax positions. Individual users may also use the ITP on their mobile devices anytime, anywhere via the “eTAX” mobile application launched by the IRD today.

     The BTP is specifically designed for businesses to handle tax matters and compliance obligations electronically, including tax return filing and business registration.

     The TRP caters to tax service agents (tax representatives, company secretaries and other tax service providers) to facilitate them in managing clients’ tax matters, including tax return filing and compliance tracking.

     “Profiles of existing eTAX users have been migrated to the ITP. They can use their registered information to log into the ITP. Businesses and service agents are encouraged to open an eTAX account as early as possible to handle tax matters electronically through the BTP and TRP in a safe, convenient and environmentally friendly way,” the spokesman said.

     Details about the three new tax portals are available on the IRD’s website.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     The Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) announced today (July 22) that the facilities of Sha Tin District in the list below will be temporarily closed to facilitate preparations for the launching of the Para Dance Sport (Mass Participation Event) of the 12th National Games for Persons with Disabilities and the 9th National Special Olympic Games.
 

Venue	Closure Period	Remarks
Ma On Shan Sports Centre (MOSSC)	August 19 – September 11	All facilities and the adjoining piazza will be temporarily closed
Car park at Ma On Shan Swimming Pool	September 1 – 8	All parking spaces will be temporarily closed

     The service for Ma On Shan Swimming Pool will not be affected. During the above period, members of the public may use similar facilities of the other sports centres and the car park at Ma On Shan Sports Ground in the same district.

     For enquiries, please call the MOSSC at 2631 1597.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The following is issued on behalf of the Legislative Council Secretariat:

     The Legislative Council (LegCo) will hold a meeting tomorrow (July 23) at 11am in the Chamber of the LegCo Complex. During the meeting, the Second Reading debate on the Legislative Council (Powers and Privileges) (Amendment) Bill 2025 will resume. If the Bill is supported by Members and receives its Second Reading, it will stand committed to the committee of the whole Council. After the committee of the whole Council has completed consideration of the Bill and its report is adopted by the Council, the Bill will be set down for the Third Reading.

     The Second Reading debates on the Promotion of Recycling and Proper Disposal of Products (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill 2025 and the Electronic Health Record Sharing System (Amendment) Bill 2025 will also resume. If the Bills are supported by Members and receive their Second Reading, they will stand committed to the committee of the whole Council. After the committee of the whole Council has completed consideration of the Bills and their reports are adopted by the Council, the Bills will be set down for the Third Reading.

     Meanwhile, the Supplementary Appropriation (2024-2025) Bill will be introduced into the Council for the First Reading and the Second Reading. The Second Reading debate on the Bill will be adjourned.

     On Members’ motions, Mr Paul Tse will move two proposed resolutions under Article 75 of the Basic Law and the Legislative Council (Powers and Privileges) Ordinance respectively to enhance the operation of LegCo. The proposed resolutions are set out in Appendices 1 and 2.

     Ms Judy Chan will move a motion on improving the policy on encouraging childbirth. The motion is set out in Appendix 3. Ms Nixie Lam, Mr Luk Chung-hung and Mr Kenneth Leung will move separate amendments to Ms Chan’s motion.

     Mr Chan Pui-leung will move a motion on addressing the retirement needs of the middle class and building a high-quality health and wellness ecosystem. The motion is set out in Appendix 4. Mr Robert Lee, Mr Stanley Li and Dr Tan Yueheng will move separate amendments to Mr Chan’s motion.

     Ms Nixie Lam will move a proposed resolution under section 34(4) of the Interpretation and General Clauses Ordinance to extend the period for amending subsidiary legislation. The proposed resolution is set out in Appendix 5.

     During the meeting, the Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, Mr Shiu Ka-fai, will present the “Report of the Public Accounts Committee on Report No. 84 of the Director of Audit on the Results of Value for Money Audits” and address the Council.

     Members will also ask the Government 22 questions on various policy areas, six of which require oral replies.

     The agenda of the above meeting can be obtained via the LegCo Website (www.legco.gov.hk). Members of the public can watch or listen to the meeting via the “Webcast” system on the LegCo Website. To observe the proceedings of the meeting at the LegCo Complex, members of the public may call 3919 3399 during office hours to reserve seats.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The Labour Department (LD) will hold the Building a Multicultural Workplace Job Fair at MacPherson Stadium in Mong Kok on July 24 and 25. The job fair aims to enhance the employment opportunities of job seekers, including those from ethnic minorities, and promote the LD’s employment services to them.

     The two-day job fair is jointly organised by the LD and the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB) Ethnic Minorities Committee, with the Equal Opportunities Commission as the co-organiser. About 50 organisations will participate in the job fair, offering over 2 300 quality job vacancies. Around 25 organisations will set up booths and conduct recruitment on the spot each day. A wide variety of positions will be offered, including engineer, accountant, human resources officer, guest services officer, administrative assistant, clerk, aircraft maintenance mechanic trainee, railway technical trainee, technical manager, system analyst, equestrian assistant, barista, spa therapist, nail technician trainee and lifeguard. Job seekers can visit the LD’s Interactive Employment Service website (www.jobs.gov.hk) for more details on the vacancies.

     Four major disciplinary forces, namely the Correctional Services Department, the Fire Services Department, the Hong Kong Police Force and the Immigration Department, will set up counters to introduce their career opportunities and entry requirements. In addition, the DAB Ethnic Minorities Committee will introduce its support services for people from ethnic minorities at the job fair. Training bodies will also provide information on training courses to visitors. On-site interpretation services in Hindi, Urdu and Nepali will be available. During the job fair on July 24, career talks on various professions will also be held.

     Around 93 per cent of the vacancies offered at the job fair are full-time jobs. Most vacancies offer monthly salaries ranging from $12,000 to $22,000. About 90 per cent of the vacancies require a Secondary Seven education level or below. Around 66 per cent are open to job seekers without relevant work experience.

     Job seekers can submit job applications during the event and may be selected for on-the-spot interviews. They can also make enquiries about the employment services provided by the LD at its counter at the venue.

     The job fair will be held from 11am to 5.30pm at 1/F, MacPherson Stadium, 38 Nelson Street, Mong Kok (near Mong Kok MTR Station Exit E2). Admission is free, with final admission time at 5pm each day.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     The Transport Department (TD) today (July 22) said that, to facilitate the holding of football matches and training sessions on specific dates in designated venues between July 24 and 31, the following special traffic and transport arrangements will be implemented in the vicinity of the Kai Tak Sports Park (KTSP) and the Hong Kong Stadium (HKS) to provide convenience for spectators to travel to and from the venues:

Open training sessions

Prior to the matches, open training sessions of the football clubs will be held at the KTSP around the evening of July 24, 29 and 30 and the HKS on the evening of July 25.

As the dispersal time of the events will fall within the evening peak hours, the MTR will enhance the service headway of the Tuen Ma Line (TML) and the Island Line on respective days as needed to meet the passenger demand. The Police will implement temporary road closure and traffic diversion measures in the vicinity of the KTSP (depending on actual traffic and crowd conditions) and the HKS. Members of the public should heed advice from on-site police.

Football matches

     Football matches will be held on the evening of July 26 and 31 at the KTSP. As the traffic in the vicinity is expected to be heavy, spectators should opt for public transport and avoid taking private cars (including cross-boundary private cars).

     The TD has co-ordinated with local and cross-boundary public transport operators (PTOs) to strengthen their services during dispersal. The MTR will enhance the interval between trains of the TML. Franchised bus companies will provide a total of 11 special bus routes at the Sung Wong Toi Road Pick-up/Drop-off Area (PUDOA) to Lok Ma Chau (San Tin) Public Transport Interchange (PTI), the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) Hong Kong Port and Airport, and major districts across the territory.

     In addition, the KTSP will arrange cross-boundary coach services during dispersal to facilitate travellers’ return to the Mainland via the Lok Ma Chau/Huanggang (LMC/HG) Port, the HZMB and the Shenzhen Bay Port. Passengers should purchase tickets in advance. On-site ticket sales will not be available during dispersal. They should refer to the operators’ website (Eternal East Bus: www.myeebus.com/eebusfans; CTG Bus: m.hkctgbus.com/#/layout/home) for the latest ticket information.

     For taxi services, the Kai Tak Stadium Taxi PUDOA will be open for taxi pick-up and drop-off. The Sung Wong Toi Road PUDOA will be open for taxi drop-off only during admission (4pm to 7.30pm) and suspended from taxi pick-up/drop-off during dispersal. The expected waiting time will be longer amid an outflux of spectators and passengers’ patience is appreciated.

     Spectators who plan to return to the Mainland on the same day after the matches should pay special attention that, if they use the Lo Wu Control Point, they should catch the last relevant MTR TML train departing from Sung Wong Toi Station at 10.59pm and Kai Tak Station at 11.01pm, followed by interchanging at Tai Wai Station on the East Rail Line (ERL) to Lo Wu Station. Travellers should plan their journeys ahead and arrive at the station platform in advance.

     Travellers who opt for LMC/HG Port (operating 24 hours daily) may also take the ERL to Sheung Shui Station and then the KMB route No. 276B or N73, or take the special bus route No. SP12 directly at the Sung Wong Toi Road PUDOA to the Lok Ma Chau (San Tin) PTI, and transfer to the LMC-HG cross-boundary shuttle bus (Yellow Bus) for their journey to the Mainland.

For details of the special traffic and transport arrangements, members of the public may refer to the TD’s website (www.td.gov.hk), the “HKeMobility” mobile application or passenger notices issued by PTOs as well as the latest traffic news through radio and television broadcasts. Spectators at the KTSP are advised to heed the real-time information via the on-site broadcast and the “Easy Leave” platform (easyleave.police.gov.hk).

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     The Hong Kong Police Force today (July 22) reminded members of the public that temporary restricted flying zones (RFZs) will be established in the area around the Kai Tak Youth Sports Ground and the Hong Kong Stadium from today to July 31, in order to facilitate special events and ensure public safety. No small unmanned aircraft (SUA), except those authorised, will be permitted to enter these zones.

     The two temporary RFZs will cover areas extending two kilometers outwards from the Kai Tak Youth Sports Ground and the Hong Kong Stadium respectively (see the area marked in red in the attachment). The effective dates and times are as follows:

Area around the Kai Tak Youth Sports Ground
————————————————

• From 9.15am to 1.30pm on July 22, 24 to 26;
• From 9.15am to 1.30pm, and from 4pm to 7.30pm on July 23; and
• From 8.30am to 1.40pm between July 29 and 31

Area around the Hong Kong Stadium
—————————————

• From 8.30am to 1pm, and from 6.30pm to 9.30pm on July 25; and
• From 8.30am to 1.30pm on July 31

     Details of the temporary RFZs will be shown on the electronic portal for small unmanned aircraft “eSUA”. The Police reminded the public that any person who operates an SUA within an RFZ without permission shall be liable on conviction to a fine of $100 000 and to imprisonment for two years.