Month: August 2025

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

Hong Kong Customs yesterday (August 30) detected an endangered species smuggling case involving a medium goods vehicle at the Shenzhen Bay Control Point and seized 2 139 live turtles of suspected scheduled endangered species with an estimated market value of about $1 million.

Based on risk assessment, Customs yesterday intercepted an outgoing medium goods vehicle at the control point. Upon X-ray examination, Customs officers spotted irregularities in the images of the vehicle’s undercarriage. Nine black bags were found discovered inside the chassis frame under the cargo compartment of the vehicle. Upon examination, the bags were found to contain the batch of live turtles of suspected scheduled endangered species.

A 38-year-old male driver was arrested and was charged with one count of attempting to export unmanifested cargo, one count of attempting to export a species under the Appendix II of Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora(CITES) and one count of cruelty to animals. The case will be brought up at the Tuen Mun Magistrates’ Courts tomorrow (September 1).

Customs will continue to combat cross-boundary smuggling activities with firm enforcement action based on risk assessment and intelligence analysis.

Smuggling is a serious offence. Under the Import and Export Ordinance, any person found guilty of importing or exporting unmanifested cargo is liable to a maximum fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years.

Under the Protection of Endangered Species of Animals and Plants Ordinance, any person importing, exporting or possessing specimens of endangered species not in accordance with the Ordinance commits an offence and will be liable to a maximum fine of $10 million and imprisonment for 10 years upon conviction with the specimens forfeited.

Members of the public may report any suspected smuggling activities to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

The Tseung Kwan O Hospital (TKOH) announced a case of staff non-compliance and unlawfully accessing and leaking patients’ information. Subsequent investigation conducted by the hospital revealed that there were unauthorised access to a patient’s personal information (including address and phone number), and suspected that internal documents containing other patients’ information were improperly leaked to a third party without authorisation. The hospital was highly concerned and has immediately reported the case to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data. As the incident may involve criminal offences and violating professional conduct, the hospital decided to report to the police and report to the Medical Council of Hong Kong. The hospital will fully cooperate with the investigation.

The Hospital Authority (HA) has always attached utmost importance to the professional conduct of staff and strictly requires all staff to adhere to the Code of Conduct of the HA, safeguarding patients’ rights, upholding professional integrity and maintaining public’s trust in medical professionalism.

The spokesperson of TKOH emphasises that clinical records concern patient’s privacy, information obtained by staff in accordance with their post as authorised to use the Clinical Management System of HA should only be used for authorised purposes. Staff are prohibited to access patient’s personal information, as well as to disclose to external parties unless with prior approval.

Under no circumstances should staff use such information or records to obtain personal gains, infringe on others’ rights or for unauthorised personal purposes. The hospital will not tolerate staff accessing patient’s information for unauthorised non-clinical purposes and improperly disclose patient’s information to third parties. The hospital emphasises that such acts will seriously impinge upon professional integrity and doctor-patient relationship, and possibly violating the law, as well as professional conduct. If irregularities and unlawful acts are found after investigation, stringent actions will be taken.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today (August 30) urged the public not to consume two kinds of prepackaged ice cream, which were found to contain a total bacterial count exceeding the legal limit. The trade should stop using or selling the affected batches of the products immediately if they possess any of them.

Details of the product are as follows:

Product names/Best-before dates:
(1) Vanilla Gelato/April 21, 2026; and
(2) Sesame Gelato/July 3, 2026
Brand: Make Meanings
Place of origin: Hong Kong
Net volume: 70ml
Manufacturer: Pay & Pay Ice Cream International Company Limited

A spokesman for the CFS said, “The CFS collected the above-mentioned samples from two retail outlets in Kowloon City and Sham Shui Po respectively for testing. The test results showed that the samples contained 210 000 and 55 000 bacteria per gram respectively, exceeding the legal limit.”

Under the Frozen Confections Regulation (Cap. 132AC), frozen confection for sale should not contain more than 50 000 bacteria per gram. The maximum penalty for offenders is a fine of $10,000 and three months’ imprisonment upon conviction. The fact that the total bacterial count exceeded the legal limit indicated that the hygienic conditions were unsatisfactory, but did not mean that consumption would lead to food poisoning.

     “The CFS has informed the manufacturer and the vendors concerned of the irregularities and instructed them to stop selling the affected ice-cream products immediately. The CFS has also sent staff to the frozen confection factory concerned to conduct an investigation and took samples for testing. Health education on food safety and hygiene was provided to the person-in-charge and staff of the frozen confection factory concerned. The factory concerned has temporarily closed for carrying out thorough cleaning and disinfection of the premises. The CFS has also requested the factory concerned to adopt improvement measures. Prosecution will be instituted should there be sufficient evidence,” the spokesman said.

For the sake of prudence, the CFS has instructed the above-mentioned manufacturer to stop sales and remove from shelves the affected batches of the ice-cream products and to initiate a recall. Members of the public may call the hotline at 5548 9226 during office hours for enquiries about the recall.

The spokesman advised members of the public to stop consuming the affected products and seek medical treatment if they feel unwell after consuming the products concerned.

The CFS will alert the trade to the incident, continue to follow up and take appropriate action. An investigation is ongoing.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

Attention TV/radio announcers:

Please broadcast the following as soon as possible and repeat it at regular intervals:

Here is an item of interest to swimmers.

The Leisure and Cultural Services Department said today (August 30) that the red flag at Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach in Islands District has been lowered.

The red flag was hoisted earlier due to big waves.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, visited Eastern District today (August 30) to gauge the views of members of the public on the upcoming Policy Address. He toured a public housing estate, social service facilities, and the Hong Kong Museum of the War of Resistance and Coastal Defence.
 
The Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Miss Alice Mak; the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Chris Sun; the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Miss Rosanna Law; the Director of Leisure and Cultural Services, Ms Manda Chan; the Director of Home Affairs, Ms Priscilla To; and the Director of Social Welfare, Mr Edward To, also joined relevant parts of the visit.
 
Mr Lee and the officials, accompanied by the District Officer (Eastern), Mr Henry Lai, first visited Oi Tung Estate, where they visited elderly living alone and presented them with blessing bags. They also learned about the daily lives of the residents and the support provided by the District Services and Community Care Teams (Care Teams). Mr Lee also interacted with residents of the estate and listened to their views. He noted that the District Services and Community Care Teams – Scheme on Supporting Elderly and Carers has been extended to cover the entire territory of Hong Kong, with Care Teams assisting in identifying singleton and doubleton elderly persons and carers of elderly persons and persons with disabilities in need, and providing them with care and support services.
 
Mr Lee and the officials then visited the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals Fong Shu Chuen Social Service Building to interact with elderly users of the services and learn about how they use gerontechnology and silver products to enhance their quality of life.
 
Mr Lee said that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government has been taking multi-pronged measures to strengthen elderly care services. They include increasing the numbers of Residential Care Service Vouchers for the Elderly, and Community Care Service Vouchers for the Elderly, starting from April this year, and continuing to expand and enhance the Residential Care Services Scheme in Guangdong, and providing social and care support services to participating elderly to help them adapt to living in Guangdong.
 
On the other hand, the HKSAR Government has been actively encouraging elderly service units and the elderly to harness gerontechnology. This includes support through the Innovation and Technology Fund for Application in Elderly and Rehabilitation Care, which subsidises elderly and rehabilitation service units in using technological products to improve the lives of service users and reduce the pressure on nursing staff and carers.
 
Mr Lee and the officials then visited the Hong Kong Museum of the War of Resistance and Coastal Defence. They toured the “Standing Together for Peacebuilding: Commemorating the 80th Anniversary of Victory in the War of Resistance in Guangdong and Hong Kong” exhibition jointly organised by the museum and Guangdong Museum of Revolutionary History, and interacted with young people there. Noting that this year marks the 80th Anniversary of Victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, Mr Lee said that the HKSAR Government’s Working Group on Patriotic Education is co-ordinating the organisation of commemorative activities by various policy bureaux and departments at full steam, actively passing on the spirit of the War of Resistance, fostering a correct understanding of history among the younger generation, strengthening their patriotism, and nurturing them become pillars of society who can contribute to the development of Hong Kong and the country.
 
The public consultation exercise for the 2025 Policy Address was launched in mid-June. Mr Lee said that he and his team will continue to listen to opinions from various sectors of society, leading society in driving innovation and reform to boost the economy and improve people’s livelihood. He appealed to members of the public to continue to actively give their views to the Government.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:
 
The spokesperson for Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital (PYNEH) made the following appeal today (August 30) regarding a patient leaving the ward:
 
A 39-year-old female foreign postnatal patient in an Obstetrics and Gynaecology ward of PYNEH expressed to ward staff that she needs to temporarily leave the ward at around 1.40am but did not return to the ward after an hour. Security guards were immediately deployed to search for the patient within the hospital compound and the vicinity but in vain. The hospital is very concerned about the incident and has immediately informed the patient’s family and reported to the Police for assistance.
 
The foreign patient is about 1.52 metres tall with medium body build and ear-length short brown hair. She was wearing a dark jacket and pink pants when leaving the hospital.

The hospital appeals to the public to contact Chai Wan Police Station at 3660 1513 if they know the whereabouts of the patient.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     The Transport Department (TD) today (August 31) urged students to allow more commute time on the first school day tomorrow (September 1) to avoid being late, as overall traffic is anticipated to be busier. Motorists should avoid driving to school areas.

     A spokesman for the TD said, “Students should familiarise themselves early with public transport routes to and from their schools and the service frequencies, especially those attending a new school. Those taking ferries should further check their vessel types and journey times. Students should also take heed of road safety on their journeys, properly use crossing facilities to cross the road, and not use a mobile phone, listen to any audio device, play mobile games, eat or drink when crossing the road.”

     Major public transport operators (PTOs) have been reminded to provide adequate services and enhance and deploy standby services and manpower when necessary to meet passenger demand. Local franchised bus operators providing services connecting land boundary control points (BCPs) and cross-boundary coach operators have been reminded to provide adequate services for cross-boundary students. Special routes serving school areas will also be resumed.

     The operation of the TD’s Emergency Transport Co-ordination Centre (ETCC) will be escalated to the highest tier, the Joint Steering Mode, tomorrow morning to jointly and closely monitor real-time traffic and public transport services on the first school day in collaboration with the Police and major PTOs. Staff will be deployed at major public transport interchanges, stations, school areas, land BCPs and tunnels across the territory for on-site monitoring and, where necessary, service enhancement and implementation of traffic management measures accordingly.

     Members of the public are advised to heed the latest traffic news through the TD’s website (www.td.gov.hk), the HKeMobility mobile application and radio and television broadcasts, or the service details from the PTOs:
 

Public transport operator	Hotline	Website
MTR	2881 8888	www.mtr.com.hk
Citybus	2136 8888	www.citybus.com.hk
Kowloon Motor Bus	2745 4466	www.kmb.hk
Long Win Bus	2261 2791	www.lwb.hk
New Lantao Bus	2984 9848	www.nlb.com.hk
Sun Ferry	2131 8181	www.sunferry.com.hk
Hong Kong and Kowloon Ferry	2815 6063	hkkf.com.hk

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

This year’s New Territories West Cluster Youth Volunteer Programme, run over the summer by the Hospital Authority, gave participants the chance to take part in a variety of hands-on activities – from visits to hospital kitchens to performing rehabilitation exercises with patients, promoting anti-smoking messages, and helping members of the public use “one-stop electronic kiosks.”

These activities were designed to provide the young volunteers with a broader understanding of Hong Kong’s healthcare system and its operations.

Patient interaction

Carina Li, one of the participants, explained that she chose to join the programme as she is passionate about volunteering and giving back to the community, as well as being interested in the medical field. “I did choose subjects such as biology and chemistry in high school to kind of further my knowledge within this discipline.”

Remarking that the programme helped her to gain a new perspective on the healthcare system overall, instead of thinking only about clinics or hospitals, she said that interacting with patients was the most memorable part of the experience for her.

“To a certain extent, I could resonate with some of the feelings and hardships that they are going through. And I really think that, for example, some patients might not have a lot of family members or friends who went to visit them, so it is really important that we do go in there to talk to them, to chat with them, to see how they are doing.”

Life lessons

Daniel Cheng, another participant, expressed similar sentiments, stressing that the programme had given him useful life lessons. “The most important thing I could learn was empathy – how to truly understand other people’s feelings.”

Adding that he had built friendships with other participants and relished the chance to step out of his comfort zone, he highlighted the volunteers’ valuable role as a bridge between patients and hospital staff. “We can reflect to the staff what feedback or suggestions we received from the patients, helping to improve the services to better meet public needs.”

Expert guidance

A unique feature of this year’s programme was the involvement of retired hospital staff as instructors.

Teresa Chan, a retired nurse with 35 years of experience, spoke of her pride in sharing her knowledge with a new generation.

“I am so happy to be a nurse, and I am so proud that I can be a mentor to the young. Through this programme, I hope they can know more about the hospital and the different jobs or occupations that can be taken up in the hospital.

“Maybe in the future they would take up some jobs in the hospital.”

Immersive learning

During the programme, volunteers were given a full-spectrum view of hospital operations through visits to units as diverse as the kitchens, the mortuary, the accident and emergency department, and the pharmacy.

They also performed various worthwhile tasks, such as promoting the Hospital Authority’s “HA Go” mobile app, assisting patients in using the one-stop kiosks, and accompanying them during treatments. These activities not only supported hospital operations but also deepened the volunteers’ understanding of the healthcare system.

Hospital Authority New Territories West Cluster Service Director (Primary & Community Health Care) Dr Ng Yeung-shing outlined that this year’s programme also featured some novel elements, including an introduction to advanced medical technologies such as “magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound” at Tuen Mun Hospital’s Neuroscience Centre.

The volunteers also met hospital staff who had participated in disaster relief efforts in Myanmar earlier this year, and gained from them a broader perspective on how healthcare professionals can apply their skills beyond hospital settings.

Record participation

Nearly 300 youngsters participated in this year’s programme – a record number. Dr Ng expressed hope that the volunteers will continue to be involved in the authority’s work and praised them for their significant contributions.

“Our youth volunteers have received positive feedback from departments. They have been instrumental in helping patients to use kiosk machines and the ‘HA Go’ mobile app, and direct the patients to the waiting area.

“I think it is a win-win-win situation – patients receive assistance, staff gain support, and youth volunteers acquire invaluable experiences for personal growth.”