MIL Asia Pacific Publishing Engine

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

​Three incoming passengers were sentenced to three to ten months’ imprisonment and fined $1,000 each by the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts today (April 23) for importing duty-not-paid cigarettes and failing to declare them to Customs officers, in contravention of the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance (DCO).

The first case invloved a 40-year-old incoming male passenger. During customs clearance, Customs officers seized 145 000 duty-not-paid cigarettes, with an estimated market value of about $652,500 and a duty potential of about $479,300, from his personal baggage at Hong Kong International Airport on April 14. The passenger was subsequently arrested. He was sentenced to ten months’ imprisonment and fined $1,000 today.

The second case involved a 20-year-old incoming male passenger. During customs clearance, Customs officers seized 64 400 duty-not-paid cigarettes, with an estimated market value of about $322,000 and a duty potential of about $212,900, from his personal baggage at Hong Kong International Airport on April 21. The passenger was subsequently arrested. He was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment and fined $1,000 today.

The third case involved a 29-year-old incoming male passenger. During customs clearance, Customs officers seized 12 588 duty-not-paid cigarettes, with an estimated market value of about $56,600 and a duty potential of about $41,600, from his personal baggage at Hong Kong International Airport yesterday (April 22). The passenger was subsequently arrested. He was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment and fined $1,000 today.

Customs welcomes the sentences. The custodial sentences have imposed a considerable deterrent effect and reflect the seriousness of the offences. 

Customs reminds members of the public that under the DCO, cigarettes are dutiable goods to which the DCO applies. Any person who imports, deals with, possesses, sells or buys illicit cigarettes commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years. 

Members of the public may report any suspected illicit cigarette 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 “Blooming: The Art of Gardens in East and West” exhibition will be staged at the Hong Kong Museum of Art (HKMoA) starting from tomorrow (April 24). The exhibition features over 100 sets of selected paintings and artefacts from the Palace Museum in Beijing, the Art Institute of Chicago (AIC) in the United States, the Palace of Versailles in France and the HKMoA, presented together for the first time in Hong Kong, including paintings, prints, lacquerware, sculpture, ceramics and glassware, inviting visitors to explore the wonders and fun of gardens in the East and West from a fresh perspective.
 
     Addressing the opening ceremony held today (April 23), the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Miss Rosanna Law, said that this touring exhibition, which began at the Palace Museum in 2025 and arrived in Hong Kong today, connects the regional culture of the East and West through historical gardens. The HKMoA, as the grand finale, will exclusively feature a selection of art treasures. The exhibition not only fully showcases the distinctive features of gardens from East and West and the rich cultural heritage from different regions, but also highlights Hong Kong’s vital role as a window for mutual exchange and learning between Chinese and Western civilisations. She added that the country advocates “shaping tourism with cultural activities and promoting culture through tourism”. Culture and tourism have always been highly complementary to each other. With Labour Day Golden Week approaching, she believes the exhibition will attract local art lovers and tourists, as well as boost consumption in the surrounding area.
 
Other officiating guests included Deputy Director of the Palace Museum Mr Wang Yuegong; the Deputy Chairman of the Institute of Philanthropy and Trustee of the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, Mrs Ann Kung; the Pritzker Chair of Arts of Asia and the Executive Director of Initiatives in Asia of the AIC, Dr Wang Tao; the Chairman of the Art Sub-committee of the Museum Advisory Committee, Professor Desmond Hui; the Acting Director of Leisure and Cultural Services, Miss Eve Tam; and the Museum Director of the HKMoA, Dr Maria Mok.
 
This exhibition serves as a guide to garden aesthetics. Curated around a central theme of garden landscaping and ingeniously using set designs by the curatorial team, the exhibition takes the audience on a journey through the threefold experience of garden landscaping, activities in the garden and the appreciation of artworks inspired by garden culture, allowing them to appreciate the grand gardens of kings and nobles, including Emperor Qianlong of the Qing dynasty and King Louis XIV of France.

     Highlight exhibits include the “Spring Ablution at the Orchid Pavilion” by Wen Zhengming, one of the “Four Masters of Wu School” from the Ming dynasty, which recreates the gathering at the Orchid Pavilion, a scene long celebrated through the calligraphy of Wang Xizhi of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, from the collection of the Palace Museum; the grandeur of imperial gardens in the Qing dynasty is reflected in the “Imperial Summer Resort”, which integrates traditional blue-and-green painting features with Western perspective techniques; the “Nanxi Thatched Hall” by Ming dynasty painter Wen Boren, which depicts the ideal garden retreat of Jiangnan literati where the cottage blends seamlessly with nature; Monet’s “Water Lilies” and “Water Lily Pond” from the AIC; and Zhang Daqian’s “Entrance of Bade Garden” and “Splashed-colour Landscape” from the HKMoA’s collection, highlighting the visions of two masters and offering visitors inspiration for garden design. Other highlight exhibits include “The Enceladus Fountain” and “The Water Theatre” from the Palace of Versailles.
 
Notable garden owners such as Emperor Qianlong, King Louis XIV of France, Claude Monet and Zhang Daqian “share” the stories behind the creation of their iconic gardens through audio guides and interactive kiosks. The exhibition features a scenographic recreation of the Orchid Pavilion Gathering in the education corner, enhanced with technology to provide visitors with an immersive experience. Through interactive engagement with a virtual wine cup, visitors can enjoy the beauty of blooming flowers. Furthermore, a DIY kit is included with the limited-edition exhibition pamphlet. Visitors can also download the instructions and additional paper patterns using the QR code on the pamphlet and design their ideal garden with their favourite elements, enriching the experience beyond their visit.
 
The exhibition will run from April 24 to July 29 at the Special Gallery on the second floor of the HKMoA (10 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon). Admission is free. The exhibition is co-presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department and the Palace Museum in partnership with the AIC, and is co-organised by the HKMoA and the Palace Museum in partnership with the AIC. It is exclusively sponsored by the Institute of Philanthropy.
 
To ensure a better visiting experience, crowd control measures for the exhibition will be implemented with flexibility. In the event of overcrowding, timed admission ticketing may be arranged. Visitors are advised to follow on-site notices and to stay updated through HKMoA’s official website, Instagram, Facebook or VisitHKMuseums on Xiaohongshu.
 
The HKMoA will organise a series of special programmes, including guided tours, talks and workshops. The first talk from the “Zoom-in World Treasures” Talk Series will be held on April 25 at 2.30pm at The Hall at the HKMoA. The speaker, Senior Engineer of the Heritage Architecture Department of the Palace Museum, Ms Li Yue, will share her insights on Qianlong Garden: Art, Legacy and Conservation.
 
For details of the exhibition and activities, please visit hk.art.museum/en/web/ma/exhibitions-and-events/blooming-the-art-of-gardens-in-east-and-west.html.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

The Hospital Authority (HA) clarifies the untruthful remarks regarding patients collecting medications today (April 24) as follows:

Through reforming the subsidisation structure of the public healthcare service, the fees and charges reform aims to guide the public to make optimal use of healthcare resources, reduce wastage and abuse, and enhance healthcare protection for the four categories of “poor, acute, serious, critical” patients, based on the principle of ‘co-payment by those who can afford and co-payment by those with mild conditions’. The reform will thereby enhance the sustainability of the healthcare system in response to challenges such as an ageing population and the increasing prevalence of chronic diseases, and serve as a safety net for all. After the implementation of the reform, the Government maintains a high level of subsidisation of up to 95 per cent for public healthcare services, with citizens co-paying a very low proportion of the cost.

The spokesperson for the HA said that, having analysed data from the pharmacies of public hospitals and clinics, the HA considers that recent allegation that patients have not collected medications following the implementation of the fees and charges reform does not accord with the facts.

The HA emphasised that, in the course of consultation and drug prescription, doctors will ascertain patients’ medication profiles, including their medication habits and the quantity of medicines kept at home. In general, if patients already have a sufficient supply of medications at home, for example, long-term medications for chronic diseases or analgesics prescribed for “as needed” use, doctors will discuss with patients and advise that they do not need to collect the same medications from the pharmacy again, so as to reduce wastage caused by overstocking of medicines. For the sake of complete records, doctors will still make a prescription entry in the medical record to document that the patient has followed their medical advice, continued treatment, and has appropriate follow-up arrangements in place. Under the prevailing recording system, such prescription records are also counted under the category of unfilled prescriptions.

In the first quarter of 2026, the rate of unfilled prescriptions was 2.4 per cent, similar to the 2.2 per cent for the whole of 2025. Taking the unfilled prescription records for the first two months of 2026 as an example, about 72 per cent arose from prescriptions made by doctors for the sake of complete medical records, where patients did not actually need to collect the medications. This involved patients who, after discussion with their doctors, confirmed they had a sufficient supply of medications at home and did not need to collect them again. Of these, about 12 per cent involved “as needed” medications (such as analgesics or artificial tears).

In fact, after the implementation of the public healthcare fees and charges reform, the number of unfilled prescriptions has shown only a very slight change, and accounts for only a small proportion of the total number of medication slips processed by public hospitals. The relevant data are set out below for reference.
 

From observations by frontline healthcare staff and feedback from patients, the HA understands that, after the implementation of the reform, many patients now recognise that overstocking of medications at home should be avoided, particularly “as needed” medications. Some patients have also proactively requested doctors to reduce prescriptions of such medications to avoid wastage. In the first quarter of 2026, demand for “as needed” medications was about 7 per cent lower than the same period in 2025.

The spokesperson added that if patients consider they already have a sufficient quantity of medications stored at home, they may discuss with their doctors during consultation to reduce the prescription of the medications concerned. Doctors will adjust the prescription quantity according to the patient’s clinical condition. The spokesperson reminded patients not to decide on their own not to collect the prescribed medications, but to collect them in accordance with the doctor’s prescription to ensure the treatment achieves the expected results.

The HA emphasised that it will ensure no patient is denied from medical care due to lack of means. This fundamental principle will not change. After the implementation of the public healthcare fees and charges reform, the HA has introduced various measures to strengthen protection for “poor, urgent, serious and critical” patients. As at March 31 this year, over 220,000 applications for medical fee waivers have been approved, which is 16 times the approximately 14,000 patients granted waivers in the whole of the previous year. In addition, as at March 31 this year, 2,953 applications for the annual spending cap of $10,000 have been approved. These figures demonstrate that the enhanced patient protection measures are yielding results and effectively safeguarding low-income persons and vulnerable groups. In response to public comments that individual patients have abstained from taking medications due to fee concerns, the HA calls on members of the public to proactively assist those genuinely facing financial difficulties to apply for fee waivers, and to work together to support the public healthcare reform.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     Following is the speech by the Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, at the South African Freedom Day Reception 2026 today (April 23):

Consul General Mogono (Consul General of South Africa in Hong Kong, Mr Mojalefa Mogono), Deputy Commissioner Hua You (Deputy Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region), members of the diplomatic community in Hong Kong, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,

     It is a great pleasure to join you this evening to celebrate South Africa’s Freedom Day.

     South Africa and our country, China, are close partners, sharing a long-standing and resilient relationship. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations 28 years ago, our ties have continued to deepen, and now grown into an All-round Strategic Cooperative Partnership in the New Era.

     Our two countries work closely together in the international arena, through platforms such as the G20, BRICS and the Belt and Road Initiative. As important members of the Global South, we share a commitment to mutual benefit, win-win co-operation, shared prosperity, and respect for each other’s chosen path of development. In a world of uncertainty, instability and change, that spirit of mutual respect and solidarity matters greatly.

     This is a world in profound transformation. Geopolitical tensions remain high. Conflicts persist. Globalisation is facing headwinds. Technological advancement and green transition redefine development models and competitiveness. But change also creates opportunity. Technological innovations are opening up extraordinary new possibilities. Artificial intelligence and other frontier technologies are reshaping industries, economies and the way we live, work and do business.

     Amid these changes, China remains a stabilising force in the global arena and a powerful engine of growth. This year marks the beginning of our country’s 15th Five-Year Plan period. Innovation, technological breakthroughs, green transformation, and high-level opening up will be central to this new chapter of development.

     Hong Kong will continue to play an instrumental role in this process. As a free port and an international trade, financial and business hub, we are uniquely placed to connect our country with the rest of the world. In particular, as more Mainland enterprises expand to the Global South, including the African continent, Hong Kong supports them with a deep capital market, comprehensive funding options and a full range of professional services.

     We will continue to serve as a gateway for foreign enterprises and investors to gain greater access to the vast Mainland market.

     Our role is clear, and the connectivity is in both directions, inbound and outbound. We connect capital with opportunities, businesses with markets, and partners with long-term growth.

     In many respects, Hong Kong and South Africa are natural partners. Hong Kong is the gateway to China and Asia. South Africa is the gateway to the African continent. The markets are different, but the role is similar. We are both connectors that create potential for deeper collaboration and shared progress.

     Hong Kong’s capital market is well positioned to South African businesses’ growth and international expansion. We bring capital, businesses and opportunities together efficiently and effectively. For example, we welcome South African companies to list on our stock exchange to access capital in this part of the world. Besides, we stand ready to explore broader financial connectivity with your country, including dual listing of enterprises and ETPs (exchange-traded products), as well as closer cross-border regulatory co-operation.

     There is also great scope for collaboration in digital economy and green transition. Our strengths in green finance, fintech, and innovation and technology can work well with South Africa’s key industries, including mining, energy, agro-processing and manufacturing. Together, our entrepreneurs can develop innovative solutions that help strengthen your industry development on a sustainable and inclusive basis.

     But our strong relationship is not just in trade and finance. It is the bond between the two peoples. Hong Kong is fast becoming an international education hub. A number of our universities and academic disciplines rank among the world’s best, attracting outstanding talent from across the globe. 

     We would be delighted to welcome more young people from South Africa to study in Hong Kong, build their future here, and bring home new ideas, new experiences, and new connections.

     And if I may end on a sporting note, nothing would be more delightful than seeing the Blitzboks return to the Hong Kong Sevens next year to defend their title.

     Consul General, our warmest congratulations again on South Africa’s Freedom Day.
 
     And ladies and gentlemen, may I now invite you to join me in a toast: to the people of the Republic of South Africa, and to the enduring friendship and co-operation between the People’s Republic of China and the Republic of South Africa. Thank you.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Today was the fourth day of phased arrangements for residents of seven blocks of Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po to return to their units. The second round of the phased arrangements also commenced today.

The Government said 424 people from 115 households in Wang Cheong House and Wang Yan House turned up, and the access arrangements were carried out in an orderly manner.

Five low-zone floors of Wang Cheong House and ten low-zone floors of Wang Yan House were opened today.

Concluding the arrangements, the Government said a total of 429 people from 117 households registered to return to their units today through the “one social worker per household” service, while 424 people from 115 households actually turned up.

The average time residents spent entering and leaving the building today was two hours and 13 minutes, with the shortest time being 10 minutes and the longest three hours and 42 minutes.

About 40% of the residents stayed in the building for less than two hours, while around 10% of the residents stayed for less than one hour.

A total of 153 people from 61 households went up and down the building more than once. Among them, 76 people from 24 households made one additional trip, 34 people from 15 households made two additional trips, 24 people from 11 households made three additional trips, 7 people from 5 households made four additional trips, while 12 people from 6 households made five additional trips or above.

Deputy Chief Secretary Cheuk Wing-hing today spoke to two households returning to their units at Wang Cheong House.

Both households said their units were not seriously damaged and that many items could be retrieved, and they hoped to return to their units one more time to collect more belongings.

Mr Cheuk expressed understanding of their wishes and said the Government is actively following up on the arrangements for them to return to their units again.

The integrated enquiry counter today received eight cases requesting police assistance and four cases involving residents seeking help due to physical discomfort, as well as one case seeking psychological counselling services.

The eight cases requesting police assistance involved suspected loss of property, including watches, jewellery, cash and gold items. Officers were immediately deployed to assist in searches, and in six of them, Police successfully assisted in recovering the lost property. In one case, the flat was seriously damaged, and after investigation, the residents believed that the property may have been burned. For the remaining one case, there were no signs of ransacking in the unit, and the residents could not provide details on the property concerned.

Adjustments were made on-site today in response to an increase in occasional showers. Additional marquees were set up outside the waiting area for residents at Tai Po Baptist Public School, creating a covered pedestrian walkway to provide shelter from the rain and facilitate residents in transporting their belongings to the vehicles.

The Government outlined that it deploys over 1,000 personnel from various departments each day, including Police, the Civil Aid Service, the Fire Services Department, the Auxiliary Medical Service, the Home Affairs Department, the Social Welfare Department, the Housing Department, and the Housing Bureau, and staff mobilised from other departments as well as District Services & Community Care Teams members to fully support residents returning to their units.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Continuing his visit to Beijing, Secretary for Justice Paul Lam toured Tsinghua University, visited local arbitral institutions and called on various ministries.

This morning, Mr Lam visited Tsinghua University History Museum where he met student representatives from Hong Kong and the Tsinghua University School of Law to better understand their learning and daily life. Mr Lam then conducted a seminar with the Dean of Tsinghua University School of Law Professor Cui Guobin, and met Deputy Secretary of CPC Tsinghua University Committee Prof Guo Yong as well as Vice President of the Chinese Association of Hong Kong & Macao Studies and Tsinghua University School of Law Prof Wang Zhenmin to exchange views on the training for legal talent.

In the afternoon, Mr Lam called on Chairman of the Legislative Affairs Commission of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPCSC) and Chairman of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Basic Law Committee & Macao Special Administrative Region Basic Law Committee of the NPCSC Shen Chunyao to discuss the implementation and promotion of the Constitution and the Basic Law in Hong Kong and explore matters relating to Greater Bay Area lawyers.

Yesterday morning, Mr Lam visited the International Commercial Arbitration Center (Beijing) with a view to fostering co-operation in talent exchange and business development.

Afterwards, the legal chief visited the China International Economic & Trade Arbitration Commission to exchange views on collaboration opportunities.

At the Hong Kong & Macao Work Office of the CPC Central Committee and the Hong Kong & Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, Mr Lam met the offices’ Deputy Director Nong Rong to report on the Department of Justice’s work and plans for this year. These included initiatives to strengthen Hong Kong’s position as an international legal and dispute resolution services centre in alignment with the National 15th Five-Year Plan, efforts related to safeguarding national security, and the latest progress in adaptation of laws.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Over 6,600 students were granted scholarships and awards under the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government Scholarship Fund (GSF) and the Self-financing Post-secondary Education Fund (SPEF) in the 2025-26 academic year, amounting to about $210 million in total. 

Around 690 students with special educational needs were given the Endeavour Merit Award and the Endeavour Scholarship under the two funds.

Speaking at the presentation ceremony held today, Acting Secretary for Education Sze Chun-fai said Hong Kong’s post-secondary education system enjoys an international reputation, with local universities ranking among the top in global rankings for the most international universities.

He added that this not only demonstrates the strength of Hong Kong’s post-secondary education sector, but also attests to the effectiveness of the Government’s long-term commitment to investing in education and enhancing educational competitiveness.

Mr Sze also noted that the Education Bureau has been consistently adhering to the principle of integrity and innovation, integrating itself into the overall national development.

He added that the bureau has been seizing the opportunities brought about by the country’s Belt & Road initiatives and the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area to deepen Hong Kong’s role as an international post-secondary education hub and a cluster of talent, while striving to promote the “Study in Hong Kong” brand globally.

There are five types of scholarships and awards under the GSF, namely Scholarships for Outstanding Performance, the Belt & Road Scholarship, Talent Development Scholarship, Reaching Out Award and Endeavour Merit Award. 

In the 2025-26 academic year, about 1,200 local students and about 900 non-local students were awarded by the fund. In terms of levels of study, about 1,500 students were at undergraduate level and above, while about 600 students were at the sub-degree level. 

Meanwhile, the SPEF includes five types of scholarships and awards, namely the Outstanding Performance Scholarship, Best Progress Award, Talent Development Scholarship, Reaching Out Award and Endeavour Scholarship.  

In the 2025-26 academic year, scholarships and awards were offered to about 4,000 local students and about 500 non-local students. In terms of levels of study, about 2,500 of them pursued undergraduate studies, while about 2,000 students were at the sub-degree level.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

On day three of their Korea visit, Chief Secretary Chan Kwok-ki and a delegation visited universities in Seoul and held meetings with officials, with a view to providing a solid reference for the planning and development of the Northern Metropolis University Town (NMUT).

Mr Chan is leading a delegation of the Working Group on Planning & Construction of the University Town under the Committee on Development of the Northern Metropolis.

In the morning, the delegation visited Kyung Hee University’s Seoul Campus, where they met the university’s president Kim Jin-sang to learn about its self-financing operation model and experience in achieving financial sustainability.

They also toured various facilities on campus, including the startup centre, and listened to a briefing on how the centre assists high value-added technology startups in fields such as artificial intelligence, robotics, and biomedicine to develop their businesses through different programmes.

Established in 1949, Kyung Hee University is a top-tier private university in Korea, renowned for its programmes in humanities, international studies, medicine, hospitality and tourism.

Mr Chan expressed hope that the university’s successful example of diversifying its operating funds can serve as a reference for self-funded higher education institutions in NMUT, and that its development model, which integrates academic research, innovative thinking, start-up incubation and industry collaboration, can also serve as a useful reference.

Afterwards, the delegation attended a luncheon to exchange views with representatives from the Busan-Jinhae Free Economic Zone Authority, the Incheon Global Campus Foundation and several top Korean universities, on how to build a university town that deeply integrates higher education, scientific research and industry. Through this visit, they also aimed to promote exchanges and co-operation in the education field.

In the afternoon, the delegation met Vice Mayor for Political Affairs of the Seoul Metropolitan Government Kim Byung-min. They had in-depth exchanges on government-university collaboration, attracting internationally renowned universities and talent, campus and innovation district planning, as well as future co-operation opportunities between the two places.

Mr Chan said both Hong Kong and Seoul are committed to promoting the deep integration of education, technology, and talent development, and the potential for co-operation is immense.

During their recent visits to Seoul and other Korean cities, the delegation exchanged views with representatives from various higher education institutions, research organisations and government departments on the planning and development of university towns.

Mr Chan said their extensive experience in campus planning, industry-academia-research collaboration, talent cultivation, and multi-university shared campus models made the discussions highly insightful.

The Chief Secretary added that he looks forward to collaborative projects between Korea’s top universities and Hong Kong’s institutions in the NMUT, fostering innovative talent with an international perspective.

The delegation then paid a courtesy call on Chinese Ambassador to the Republic of Korea Dai Bing to brief him on the planning and development of Hong Kong’s NMUT.  

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Development Bureau announced today that the short-term tenancy of the Central Harbourfront Event Space has been awarded to Central Grand Limited (CGL) for a fixed term of five years commencing July 1.

CGL, a joint-venture formed by Henderson Land Development Company Limited and YW Company Limited, shall manage and maintain the event space for the hosting of events pursuant to the strengthened terms and requirements on venue management. During the tenancy term, it will pay the Government a monthly rental of $1,518,000 in accordance with its tender proposal.

A two-envelope approach was adopted in the tender exercise, with the technical proposal weighted at 70% and the price proposal at 30%. A total of six submissions were received. CGL, which achieved the highest combined score for its technical and price components, was awarded the tender.

Having evaluated the six submissions, the Government considered that the large-scale signature commercial events featured in the successful tenderer’s proposal would best utilise the harbourfront resources and the site space. CGL’s proposal also outlined practical implementation plans, such as offering promotional information and discounts of other tourist attractions and gourmet hotspots in Hong Kong, with the aim of enhancing the event space’s overall appeal and extending visitors’ stays in Hong Kong.

As regards space sharing, CGL will open up the event space to the public, for free, on days when no events are held. It will also provide free facilities such as jogging trails or leisure facilities. In addition, even with ongoing commercial events or rehearsals, if more than one-third of the site area has no events taking place, CGL will open up the non-event area for public use.

Moreover, if the actual number of event days held at the event space as rented out each year falls short of the commitment, the tenant is required to pay compensation equivalent to 10% of the monthly rent of the event space for each day of shortfall, to the Government.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Department of Health’s Centre for Health Protection will set up a vaccination station at the airport from tomorrow to provide airport staff with free measles vaccinations.

The centre made the announcement today after three backend support staff who work on aircraft repair and maintenance, all at the same company, contracted measles. They did not know whether they had been vaccinated against the disease.

The centre added that it has implemented comprehensive communicable disease control measures. This includes medical surveillance of close contacts and providing “mop-up” vaccinations for contacts who lack immunity to measles. 

The workplace associated with the cases has about 2,500 employees, approximately 900 of whom are non-local residents. Data collected during the centre’s epidemiological investigations found that around 30% of the employees were unsure whether they are immune to measles.

As of 1 pm today, no new cases of measles – including secondary transmission among close contacts of the three people infected – had been recorded, while the centre had provided vaccinations to more than 370 of the company’s employees.

The centre highlighted that measles outbreaks have been on the rise worldwide. Given that airport staff frequently come into contact with large numbers of travellers and that a higher proportion of those in the airport workforce are not born locally and may not have been vaccinated against measles in childhood, the risk of measles transmission is relatively high.

To prevent a measles outbreak among airport staff, the centre will set up a vaccination booth at the airport from tomorrow to provide local airport staff with free measles vaccinations.

The service targets Hong Kong airport staff who have not received two doses of the measles vaccine and have never had measles. If an airport employee has undergone a blood test confirming a positive reaction to measles antibodies (IgG), vaccination is not required.

Centre for Health Protection Controller Dr Edwin Tsui urged all airport staff, especially those not born locally, to review their vaccination records as soon as possible.