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CJ expresses sorrow over passing of former High Court Judge Eric Charles Barnes

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The following is issued on behalf of the Judiciary:
 
     Chief Justice Andrew Cheung, Chief Justice of the Court of Final Appeal, today (September 17) expressed great sadness at the passing of Mr Eric Charles Barnes, GBS, a retired Judge of the High Court, who passed away yesterday.
 
     “Mr Barnes made significant contributions to the work of the courts in his various judicial roles throughout his long and dedicated service. He was a fine judge and a gentleman. He remained closely connected to the Judiciary until very recently,” Chief Justice Cheung said.
 
     Mr Barnes joined the Judiciary as a Magistrate in 1966. He was appointed Senior Magistrate in 1977 and became a District Judge in 1978. In 1981, he was elevated to the High Court Bench, where he served with distinction until his retirement in 1992.
 
     “On behalf of the Judiciary, I would like to extend my deepest condolences to his family,” Chief Justice Cheung added.

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Cluster of Candida auris cases confirmed in Hong Kong Buddhist Hospital

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

The spokesperson for Hong Kong Buddhist Hospital (HKBH) made the following announcement today (September 17):

A 69-year-old male patient in a medicine and geriatrics ward of HKBH was confirmed to carry Candida auris on September 9.  In accordance with the prevailing guidelines, HKBH conducted contact tracing and found two more male patients (aged 86 and 101) in the same ward carrying Candida auris without signs of infection. All three patients are now being treated in isolation, and are in stable condition.

The ward concerned has adopted the following enhanced infection control measures:
 

  1. enhanced patient and environmental screening procedures;
  2. application of stringent contact precautions and enhanced hand hygiene of staff and patients; and
  3. thorough cleaning and disinfection of the ward concerned.

The hospital will continue the enhanced infection control measures and closely monitor the situation of the ward concerned. The cases have been reported to the Hospital Authority Head Office and the Centre for Health Protection for necessary follow up.

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Convenor of ExCo Non-official Members speaks on Policy Address

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Convenor of ExCo Non-official Members speaks on Policy Address 
Convenor of ExCo Non-official Members: As you know, the bureau directors, they are responsible for a number of departments, so they cannot be held responsible for the daily operations of the departments. That’s why it’s important for the heads of departments to take responsibility for the operation of their departments. This is what they are supposed to do anyway, so I don’t think it will add to their burden.Issued at HKT 22:26

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CHP investigates food poisoning clusters involving restaurants in Kowloon Bay and Tsuen Wan

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

CHP investigates food poisoning clusters involving restaurants in Kowloon Bay and Tsuen Wan——————————————————————–    
     A preliminary investigation revealed that the affected individuals had consumed common dishes with siu mei prepared by the restaurant, including barbecued pork egg rice with XO sauce and Hainanese Chicken Rice. Officers of the CHP and the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD), conducted a joint investigation at the restaurant. They reviewed the handling process and food hygiene, and collected food and environmental samples for testing.—————————————————————– 
Among those affected, 20 sought medical advice, with three requiring hospitalisation. All of the affected individuals are currently in stable condition. A stool specimen of an affected person tested positive for Vibrio parahaemolyticus upon laboratory testing.
 
A preliminary investigation revealed that the common food item consumed by those affected was chicken (including scallion oil chicken, spicy chicken or chicken in wine sauce). On September 12, officers of the CHP and the FEHD conducted a joint investigation at the restaurant. They examined the handling process and food hygiene, and collected food and environmental samples for testing. The food concerned was prepared too far in advance and stored at an improper temperature for a prolonged period and there was cross-contamination during the preparation process. The FEHD has provided health education on food safety and hygiene to the person-in-charge and staff of the restaurant. The restaurant has also stopped selling the affected product, and has temporarily suspended the business for carrying out thorough cleaning and disinfection according to the FEHD’s advice. 
  
The investigation of the CHP and FEHD is ongoing.
 
To prevent foodborne diseases, members of the public are reminded to maintain personal, food and environmental hygiene at all times. When dining out, one should:
 Issued at HKT 22:20

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Remarks by CE at press conference on “The Chief Executive’s 2025 Policy Address” (with photos/video)

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     Following are the remarks by the Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, at the press conference on “The Chief Executive’s 2025 Policy Address” today (September 17):

Reporter: Good afternoon, Mr Lee. Some English questions. Firstly, in your Policy Address, you mentioned that the Government will assist local media to expand their network beyond Hong Kong to tell the good stories of Hong Kong. Could you elaborate on exactly what this means, such as what markets the Government is looking at, or what outlets the Government is trying to assist? Also, what will you do to ensure that the whole initiative will not backfire – the media would then be seen as losing their credibility when they are seen as government mouthpieces? The second question: with the new Heads of Department (HoD) Accountability System, are you worried about that having this new scheme would lead to the exodus of executive officers and administrative officers and worsen this exodus? And also, when do you hope to apply this new Heads of Department Accountability System? Will officers or political appointees that are involved in recent scandal, like the head of the Government Logistics Department, Carlson Chan, also be covered under this new accountability system? Thank you.

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SCS briefs civil servants on Policy Address initiatives (with photo)

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

SCS briefs civil servants on Policy Address initiatives (with photo) 
     The Policy Address put forward initiatives for the Government to further enhance governance, including the establishment of the Heads of Department (HoD) Accountability System. By clearly setting out and strengthening the proactive leadership roles and supervisory responsibilities of HoDs, it drives HoDs to establish an effective management team and operating systems, improving workflow on an ongoing basis, thereby achieving an ongoing enhancement in the overall management standard of the departments and the governance effectiveness of the Government. When problems arise, in accordance with the severity of the problems identified, there will be investigations which will be divided into two tiers (i.e. Tier I departmental investigation and Tier II independent investigation) to look into the root cause of the problems with a view to putting in place improvements, attributing responsibilities to the appropriate parties, and taking administrative or disciplinary actions against those responsible in accordance with the civil service management regime depending on the nature and severity of the deficiencies identified. The system renders the political accountability required of Secretaries of Department and Directors of Bureau in policy formulation, and the administrative accountability required of civil servants in implementing policy initiatives better articulated with each other, with clarification of their division of work. The Policy Address also proposed that the Government will strengthen the performance appraisal system for civil servants. The Civil Service Bureau will conduct a study to develop a more rigorous appraisal system in order to reflect and differentiate the performance levels of civil servants more effectively.
 
     Mrs Yeung said, “So long as all civil servants fulfil their duties and responsibilities with professionalism and go the extra mile in whatever they do, Hong Kong will certainly gain momentum and our people will have a real taste of the fruits of effective governance.”
 
     During the meeting with the representatives of the civil service, Mrs Yeung stated that accountability for performance is one of the core values in the Civil Service Code. Proactive fulfillment of duties with a strong sense of responsibility is a basic requirement for every civil servant, and it is the civil service’s responsibility to implement the Government’s policies in a highly efficient and professional manner. The Policy Address clarified the administrative responsibilities of HoDs and proposed to strengthen the performance appraisal system for civil servants with an aim to enhance governance capability and inject new impetus into the team to respond to the needs of the public and the new era.
 
     In addition, the HoD Accountability System set out in the Policy Address will require an expansion of the functions of the Public Service Commission (PSC) to enable it to conduct Tier II independent investigations. In this regard, Mrs Yeung also met with PSC to exchange views this afternoon. She said that the function of the PSC is to advise the Chief Executive (CE) on matters affecting the public service as an independent statutory body. The CSB will proactively implement the CE’s policy initiatives and handle the work for the making of the subsidiary legislation under the Public Service Commission Ordinance.
 
     Mrs Yeung called on civil servants to better understand the various policy initiatives in the Policy Address, gain a clear understanding of the Government’s governing tenets, stand united to render full support and facilitation to the administration of the CE and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, and continue to be a solid supporting force for Hong Kong’s advancement to further consolidate its competitiveness, develop the economy and improve people’s livelihood. 
Issued at HKT 21:31

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Govt to aid social development

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

On a mission to support social development, Chief Executive John Lee outlined in his 2025 Policy Address a series of critical initiatives on promoting fertility, supporting ethnic minorities, as well as measures for enhancing care team services and building management.

Promoting fertility

The Chief Executive noted that the number of newborn babies has decreased for six consecutive years since 2017, but there was an upward trend in 2023 and 2024.

“In 2024, there was a significant increase in the number of newborns, a year-on-year increase of about 3,500 babies, or about 11%, adding up to 36,700 babies born in total.”

To further promote newborns, Mr Lee set out the following initiatives in the 2025 Policy Address:

(i) Extending the claim period of additional child allowance for newborns from one year to two years – starting from the year of assessment 2026-27, a taxpayer may claim twice the allowance, ie $260,000, for each child in the first two years following childbirth;

(ii) Enhancing infant and child day care service – 15 new aided child care centres will be set up over the next three years to provide about 1,500 day care service places for children between birth and three years old, almost doubling the existing supply;

(iii) Enhancing the School-based After School Care Service Scheme within this school year by removing the cap on the number of places;

(iv) Setting up dedicated counters for pregnant women to facilitate their waiting for medical services;

(v) Supporting assisted reproductive services – the Council on Human Reproductive Technology has made amendments to the legislation, removing the statutory storage periods of gametes and embryos for own use. Such amendments will take effect this December. Moreover, the Hospital Authority will increase the service quota for assisted reproductive service to 1,500 treatment cycles in 2025-26; and

(vi) Fostering a family‑friendly culture – the Government will encourage more employers, through the Good Employer Charter, to adopt family-friendly employment practices such as flexible working hours.

Separately, the Government will increase the annual funding of the Women Empowerment Fund from $20 million to $30 million to subsidise women’s organisations and non-governmental organisations launching projects that promote women’s development.

Support for ethnic minorities (EM)

Mr Lee announced that the Home Affairs Department will set up one additional EM Care Team under the Support Service Centres, serving the North and Islands Districts. The department will also establish a Youth Network and a Women’s Network at the 10 Support Service Centres for EMs to organise activities specifically for EM youth and women. Furthermore, an additional Interpretation & Translation Service Centre for EMs will be set up in December.

On top of that, the Health Bureau will take forward the pilot project of providing emotional support and counselling services for EMs through a service centre.

Support for non-Chinese speaking students

It is proposed in the Policy Address that the Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi Chinese Proficiency Test learning materials, tailored for non-Chinese speaking students, be extended from the upper primary level to the junior secondary level in the 2026-27 school year.

Working Group on Ageing Society Strategies

Pointing out that ageing is a global issue, the Chief Executive announced that the Government will set up a Working Group on Ageing Society Strategies, under the steer of the Deputy Chief Secretary, to co-ordinate the efforts of various bureaus in formulating the strategy responses. 

Mr Lee elaborated: “Aside from covering areas such as elderly care, healthcare, housing, culture and leisure, and gerontechnology, the working group will consider promoting the further development of silver economy.

“The working group will take into account the views of the Elderly Commission, and submit a report next year.”

Protecting children, supporting students

Mr Lee highlighted in the Policy Address that the Government will set up an Integrated Family Service Centre in Kwu Tung North New Development Area in the Northern Metropolis to support families and children in the area. In addition, the Government will support and educate divorced or separated parents to collaborate in shouldering continuous and joint parental responsibilities in raising their children.

The Government also plans to offer transitional support to young people who no longer receive residential child‑care services but lack family support.

For children with special needs receiving On-site Pre-school Rehabilitation Services, the Government will provide bridging and support services during their first term in primary school.

Care team services

Noting that District Services & Community Care Teams will soon begin their second term of service, Mr Lee said the Government has increased the subsidy by 50%, and provided such voluntary care teams with additional administrative support, including hiring administrative staff.

Building management

To improve building management, the Chief Executive outlined that the Home Affairs Department will implement a number of measures, including establishing working groups under District Councils to share experience, expanding the Pilot Scheme on Joint Property Management to other districts, and reviewing the Building Management Ordinance.

Additionally, the Government will enhance the inspection and testing procedures for handling water seepage problems by utilising technology to expedite the identification of the seepage situation and delineate the responsibility, requiring owners to inspect and rectify within a specified time, or else the Government will take further action and recover costs from owners.

“This will prompt owners to fulfil their obligations in properly maintaining their properties,” he explained.

“We will also actively promote mediation to resolve disputes between residents. An Internet of Things fire detection system will also be introduced in old buildings to replace traditional fire service installations and equipment,” the Chief Executive added.

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Govt to enhance primary healthcare

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Chief Executive John Lee said today that the Government will take various measures, including strengthening primary healthcare services, in order to address the challenges brought by an ageing society.

While outlining such measures as he delivered his fourth Policy Address today, Mr Lee stressed that the Government will deepen the healthcare system reform, enhancing its sustainability, strengthening primary healthcare and increasing healthcare manpower, while promoting health and medical innovation and encouraging collaboration within the Greater Bay Area (GBA).

Specifically, the Hospital Authority (HA) will uphold the safety-first principle in delivering services, and advance the reform of governance and accountability; and establish dedicated teams and upgrade the electronic systems to process applications for medical fee waivers to help patients in need.

The charges and positioning of non-subsidised services will also be reviewed to offer more service options to members of the public who can afford more. 

To enhance existing public healthcare services, Mr Lee noted that the HA will establish, in phases, Stroke Centres and Integrated Cardiovascular Diseases Centres in accordance with national accreditation standards to improve treatment effectiveness.

It will also shorten waiting time by 10% or about 10 weeks, for stable new case bookings in the surgery specialty, and enhance ophthalmic services by strengthening training for professional personnel.

The authority will improve such services by strengthening training for professional personnel, introducing innovative medications and setting up a new high-capacity ambulatory cataract surgery centre.

The Hospital Accreditation Programme will be extended to cover a major acute hospital in each public hospital cluster, while contributing to the internationalisation of national hospital accreditation standards.

Other enhancements involve comprehensively upgrading the “Degenerative Knee Joint Management Programme” to promote early prevention and avoid progression to late-stage conditions that require surgical treatment.

On strengthening primary healthcare services, Mr Lee said the Government will introduce a bill within next year for the empowerment of the Primary Healthcare Commission, devising citywide standards for primary healthcare services, and developing multidisciplinary service networks.

Additionally, the Government plans to enhance the HA’s Family Medicine Outpatient preventive screening and care services, increase their service capacity, and regularise their current extended service hours progressively.

To enhance the management of chronic diseases, the Government will launch the Chronic Disease Co-care Platform on a pilot basis to conduct hepatitis B screening and promote the community drug formulary and community pharmacy programme.

It will also prepare to integrate the services of Elderly Health Centres into the district health network in phases, and expand the services of three District Health Centre Expresses, in order to expedite the establishment of District Health Centres (DHCs) across all 18 districts in the city.

In addition, the Government will bolster public and subsidised dental services by enhancing oral health education, oral hygiene instructions and risk assessments in the community through DHCs and non-governmental organisations.

To consolidate Hong Kong’s leading position in cancer research, prevention and control, and optimise services for cancer patients, the Government will collaborate with the National Cancer Center, and support the hosting of the World Cancer Congress 2026 in Hong Kong.

As part of that goal, Mr Lee explained that the Government will enhance cervical cancer screening services and expand the Pilot Scheme on Human Papillomavirus Testing of Self-collected Samples, from the Department of Health’s (DH) Maternal & Child Health Centres to the district health network.

The Government will commission local universities to explore the use of Artificial Intelligence-aided lung cancer screening, and enhance treatment efficacy and reduce side effects by expanding genetic and related testing services.

Furthermore, it will leverage cancer data and biological resources to advance oncology research, accelerate the development and translation of anticancer drugs and related innovative therapies, speed up the evaluation and approval of innovative anticancer drugs under the “1+” mechanism, and evaluate and introduce such drugs into the HA Drug Formulary.

In addition, the Government will increase the HA’s capacity of services and acquire additional medical equipment.

Regarding the development of Chinese medicine, Mr Lee noted that the Chinese Medicine Hospital of Hong Kong and the permanent premises of the Government Chinese Medicines Testing Institute will begin operation in phases from December this year. 

The Chinese Medicine Development Blueprint, scheduled to be published by the end of this year, will cover establishing a governance framework and service system, leveraging strengths and advancing Integrated Chinese Western Medicine services, promoting scientific research and innovation, cultural heritage and more.

The Government will strengthen the DH’s functions in regulating healthcare facilities and healthcare professionals.

It will consult the Legislative Council (LegCo) in the first half of next year on the implementation of the Private Healthcare Facilities Ordinance to prohibit unauthorised premises from using certain titles or descriptions. It will also step up law enforcement against unlicensed persons.

On promoting mental health, the Government will roll out measures covering prevention, identification, intervention and treatment.

Among such measures, the Government will regularise the three-tier emergency mechanism in secondary schools and extend it on a trial basis to Primary 4 to 6 students to strengthen support for those in need; and launch the Pilot Programme on Training for Mental Health Promotion Ambassador.

Moreover, the Government will complete the formulation of the stepped care model on mental health by the end of this year. Mr Lee pointed out that this model aims to set out the roles of mental health professionals and stakeholders as well as their division of work in mental health services, enhance training to raise professionals’ awareness of making referrals, and establish the referral mechanism.

Concerning nurturing a green and low carbon living environment, the Government will continue to optimise the service hours and locations of GREEN@COMMUNITY facilities, and support recycling initiatives in residential buildings.

It will also keep promoting waste separation in public rental housing estates, and work towards the goal of “one bin per block” in these estates.

I·PARK1 will progressively begin operation by the end of this year. To expand the city’s waste-to-energy capacity, the Government plans to seek funding approval from LegCo next year for constructing I·PARK2.

On top of that, the Chief Executive highlighted that Hong Kong will take part in developing the GBA into an international, first-class beautiful bay area, with Victoria Harbour as the core for development together with Mirs Bay and Port Shelter.

The Government will also take forward measures on the prevention and control of nearshore pollution, co-ordinated protection of ecosystems and shoreline remediation, he added.

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Youth Development Commission welcomes initiatives on youth development announced in “The Chief Executive’s 2025 Policy Address”

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Youth Development Commission welcomes initiatives on youth development announced in “The Chief Executive’s 2025 Policy Address” 
The Youth Development Commission (YDC) warmly welcomed the policy initiatives on supporting youth development in “The Chief Executive’s 2025 Policy Address” delivered by the Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, today (September 17).
      
The Vice-Chairman of the YDC, Mr Kenneth Leung, said, “I fully support the various measures introduced by the Chief Executive in the Policy Address to promote youth development. These include the launch of the Young Talent Training Programme, which provides more opportunities for young people to participate in international organisations and international conferences, a new media thematic internship programme on the Mainland, a strengthened Youth Financial Education Programme, and new professional mediation workshops to help broaden young people’s international perspectives and cultivate a global mindset. I am also pleased to note that the Youth Post hostel in Kai Tak has commenced a trial operation, providing affordable accommodation and diverse exchange platforms for local, Mainland and overseas youth. Moreover, the new interactive space at Youth Square and the physical Youth Link platform will be completed in phases by end of this year, further expanding the development opportunities and networks for young people.”
  
Mr Leung said he appreciated the Government listening attentively and accepting suggestions raised by members of the YDC. He said that the YDC would continue to work proactively and closely with the Government and different sectors of society to follow up on the implementation of relevant policy initiatives in the Policy Address and the Youth Development Blueprint to promote youth development on all fronts.
      
Chaired by the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, the YDC strives to enhance policy co-ordination within the Government for promoting youth development and enable a more holistic and effective examination of and discussion on issues of concern to young people. Since its establishment, the YDC has implemented a wide spectrum of programmes to promote youth exchanges, internships, entrepreneurship, life planning, positive thinking and more. It has also actively supported the Government in formulating and implementing the Youth Development Blueprint to nurture a new generation of young people with an affection for the country and Hong Kong, and are equipped with a global perspective, an aspiring mindset and positive thinking.
Issued at HKT 18:20

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