Issued by Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government Information Services
Garden Road, 5th-8th Floors, Murray Building, Hong Kong. Tel: 2842 8777
Saturday, January 10, 1998
CONTENTS
========
1. Transcript of CS's media session
2. Update on avian flu
3. Inspection of safety barrier installations urged
4. Year-end clean-up campaign launched in Wan Chai
1. Transcript of CS's media session
********************************
Following is the transcript (English part) of the
media session by the Chief Secretary for Administration,
Mrs Anson Chan, at CGO Press Room this (Saturday)
afternoon before leaving for the US tonight:
Mrs Chan: Sorry to keep you waiting. Good afternoon
everyone. This evening I shall be leaving for a
promotional tour of the United States and Canada. I
should be visiting Los Angeles, Miami, San Francisco, and
Toronto and Ottawa in Canada. This is the first
promotional visit I have undertaken since the transition.
The main purpose is, first of all, to give an account of
how the Hong Kong SAR has fared in the six months since
the transition, in particular to talk about some of the
major problems that we have to deal with. And I am sure
there will be a good deal of interest in and questions on
how we handle the financial turmoil. In this context, I
want to make it quite clear that one of the messages I
will be giving loud and clear to my American and Canadian
audiences is that the Government is absolutely determined
to defend the linked exchange rate. I have heard rumours
to the contrary, I have heard rumours that the SAR
Government is reviewing the link. I want to stop this
rumour quite firmly that there is absolutely no foundation
to this. I realise of course that given the current
volatility in the stock market and the financial market
that this is a difficult time for many. But what we need
now is - steady nerves, a cool head and prudence. The
linked exchange rate, the reasons that we have explained
exhaustively in the past has served Hong Kong extremely
well. We are determined to defend this linked exchange
rate and there is no intention on our part whatsoever to
review this linked exchange rate. I hope that is clear.
In addition to giving in an account of how we've dealt
some of these problems, I should also of course be talking
about Hong Kong's business opportunities and economic
strengths. In addition, I hope to do something to promote
tourism and perhaps also to address specific concerns such
as the avian flu. I expect to be away for about two and a
half weeks, and will return just before Chinese New Year.
Reporter: Mrs Chan, how do you think the misfortune of
Peregrine would affect Hong Kong's financial stability?
And would the Government consider ...?
Mrs Chan: I think the Financial Secretary has just spoken
about Peregrine. The only point I would make is, of
course, that Peregrine is not a bank nor a deposit-taking
institution. So it has no effect on the banking system as
I hope. We have a well-regulated futures and stock
exchange and I am sure the SFC will continue to keep a
very close watch on developments. But we do have a very
highly transparent and very very good regulatory system,
and I do not think that the financial market here as a
whole will be affected by the Peregrine difficulties.
End
2. Update on avian flu
*******************
The Department of Health (DH) today (Saturday)
confirmed one more case of influenza A (H5N1). However,
it stressed that the onset date of the case was December
7, 1997, long before the chicken slaughter exercise. The
patient had fully recovered and been discharged.
A spokesman for DH said this new case involved a six-
year-old girl who was admitted into Kwong Wah Hospital on
December 11, 1997. Initial laboratory test showed her
negative of avian flu. She had fully recovered and
discharged on December 22, 1997. Further blood test
results just available indicated that she had been
infected with the virus and had developed antibodies.
This brings the total number of cases to 17 confirmed
and one suspected case.
The spokesman also noted that there was no new case,
based on onset of illness, since December 29, 1997.
Following is a list of the cases and their latest
conditions:
Confirmed cases
***************
Case 1
Sex / Age: Male / 3 yr
Condition: Died
Case 2
Sex / Age: Male / 2 yr
Condition: Recovered and discharged
Case 3
Sex / Age: Female / 13 yr
Condition: Died
Case 4
Sex / Age: Male / 54 yr
Condition: Died
Case 5
Sex / Age: Female / 5 yr
Condition: Recovered and discharged
Case 6
Sex / Age: Male / 37 yr
Condition: Recovered and discharged
Case 7
Sex / Age: Female / 24 yr
Condition: Under treatment, condition critical
Case 8
Sex / Age: Male / 2 yr
Condition: Recovered and discharged
Case 9
Sex / Age: Male / 4 yr
Condition: Recovered and discharged
Case 10
Sex / Age: Male / 1 yr
Condition: Recovered and discharged
Case 11
Sex / Age: Female / 3 yr
Condition: Recovered and discharged
Case 12
Sex / Age: Female / 60 yr
Condition: Died
Case 13
Sex / Age: Female / 25 yr
Condition: Under treatment, condition critical
Case 14
Sex / Age: Female / 14 yr
Condition: Under treatment, condition satisfactory
Case 15
Sex / Age: Male / 3 yr
Condition: Under observation, condition satisfactory
Case 16
Sex / Age: Female / 19 yr
Condition: Under treatment, condition critical
Case 17
Sex / Age: Female / 6 yr
Condition: Recovered and discharged
Suspected case
**************
Case 1
Sex / Age: Female / 3 yr
Condition: Recovered and discharged
End
3. Inspection of safety barrier installations urged
************************************************
The Buildings Department has urged private property
management companies to step up inspection of safety
barrier installations at shopping centres.
"Particular attention should be paid to adequacy of
safety barriers to sustain the impact load, the security
of their anchorage and the fixing of balusters and
balustrades," the Assistant Director of Buildings
(Specialist), Mr Philip Lau, said in a letter to the Hong
Kong Association of Property Management Companies and the
Hong Kong Institute of Real Estate Administration.
Members of these two organisations are engaged in the
management of the majority of privately-owned commercial
properties in Hong Kong.
"Where safety barriers are found to be defective,
they should be temporarily fenced off and repaired or
replaced as soon as possible," Mr Lau said.
"Property management companies should also inspect
other facilities affecting public safety in the shopping
centres, including passive and active fire safety
measures, protective device for escalators users to ensure
they are functioning properly," Mr Lau added.
He said that this was important with the onset of the
festive season when shoppers were expected at peak level.
"It is the responsibility of all building owners to
ensure that their properties are properly maintained to
prevent danger to both occupants and the general public
from arising," Mr Lau said.
The proposed mandatory phase of the Building Safety
Inspection Scheme, which also targets commercial
buildings, calls for a preventive approach in tackling the
building safety problems in the ageing building population
in the private sector.
"To achieve this aim, systematic inspection
procedures and methods are introduced to tackle the
problem at root.
"While it is the owners' responsibility to maintain
their buildings, they should also carry out inspections to
ascertain the degree and extent of maintenance required,"
Mr Lau said.
He stressed that proper maintenance of buildings was
not only in the interest of public safety but could also
enhance their value, to the benefit of owners.
End
4. Year-end clean-up campaign launched in Wan Chai
***********************************************
The Secretary for Home Affairs, Mr David Lan,
appealed today (Saturday) to all members of the public to
participate in the Year-end Clean-up Campaign to be
launched in the 18 districts to welcome the Lunar New
Year.
Speaking at the kick-off of the Year-end Clean-up
Campaign for Wan Chai District in Southorn Playground,
Mr Lan said that in support of the Keep Hong Kong Clean
Campaign, all the environmental improvement committees of
the provisional district boards (PDBs) were committed to
improving the environmental conditions and removing all
hygiene black spots in all districts.
"A cleaner environment is a more pleasant and healthy
environment to live in. It will also contribute to
people's working efficiency," he said.
"I am therefore appealing to all residents to help
keep our public places clean by not discarding rubbish at
will so as to protect Hong Kong - Our Home," Mr Lan added.
The Year-end Clean-up Campaign for Wan Chai District
was organised by the Provisional Urban Council and
Environmental Protection and Cleaning Campaign Working
Group of the Wan Chai PDB with the assistance of the Wan
Chai District Office.
To further spread the clean Hong Kong message in the
district, Mr Lan, together with other officiating guests,
boarded an open-top bus in a float parade after the
ceremony and travelled along the streets in the district.
They also joined a team of cleansing workers at O'Brien
Road to clean up the surrounding area.
Other officiating guests at the opening ceremony were
Deputy Director of Home Affairs, Mr Augustine Cheng;
Chairman of Environmental Protection and Cleaning Campaign
Working Group of Wan Chai PDB, Mr Norman Lo; Provisional
Urban Councillors, Mr Wong Hon-ching and Mr Suen Kai-
cheong; Wan Chai PDB Chairman, Mrs Peggy Lam; District
Officer (Wan Chai), Mrs Elaine Tang; and District
Environmental Health Superintendent (Wan Chai) of the
Urban Services Department, Mr Lo Siu-fung.
End
