Remarks by SDEV on quarterly land sale programme for January to March 2025
Following is the remarks by the Secretary for Development, Ms Bernadette Linn, at a media session today (January 7) on the quarterly land sale programme for January to March 2025:
Reporter: What is your expected response for the tender exercise of the Tung Chung residential plot this time around? And also how would you assess the performance of the land sale programmes in this fiscal year? Are you confident that the annual income target can be met? And what ways will the government boost land sales revenue and market sentiment in light of the budget deficit?
Secretary for Development: First, on the prospect about being able to successfully award this Tung Chung site, we are reasonably optimistic because recently the MTRCL has successfully rolled out its first Tung Chung site which is just across the future Tung Chung East Station. And also, this is a site in a prime location in the Tung Chung East New Town Extension with a harbourfront location, and is also pretty close to the future station. We have also taken into account the fact that this site will not be a lonely site upon the time of its completion because by the time of its completion, various public housing sites will have been completed nearby, and also the population intake will have started. So, there will be a growing community in this Tung Chung area. And as I have mentioned just now in my opening remarks, this site is a rather clean site, simple, with no requirement on delivery of government facilities, you do not have to do complicated site formation works because it is already formed as reclaimed land. We believe it is of considerable interest, so we are pretty optimistic.
As regards your question about the revenue income from land premium or land-related revenue, we won't know the final figure until the end of the year. The information the media can now find openly on the websites are those lease modifications which have been executed, and the tenders which have been successfully awarded, be it for residential sites or even for some electrical vehicle charging stations. According to my calculation, based on all open information, today we have some $4.3 billion of revenue income, but that is not the final figure because we have a pool of lease modifications pending execution. Or even executed, they have yet to be registered in the land registry. So by the end of the year, you will have a final figure, and perhaps I should not predict here what the final figure should be.
As regards how we would like to promote market sentiment in the current climate, I think we remain pragmatic and prudent in selecting the kind of land that we would like to roll out. When we know that the appetite of the market is for smaller size, simpler size, we are exactly moving along that direction, and that will help sort of enliven the market and rekindle their interest in coming forward to bid for sites.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)
CHP urges public to be vigilant in preventing acute gastroenteritis
The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) today (January 8) reminded the public that according to the latest surveillance data, including the number of acute gastroenteritis (AGE) outbreaks as well as data from Accident and Emergency Departments (A&Es) and sentinel residential care homes for the elderly (RCHEs), there has been a significant increase in AGE activity in Hong Kong recently. Investigation showed that the cause was norovirus. The CHP urged the public to be more vigilant, and to maintain good personal, environmental and food hygiene to minimise the risk of infection.
"There has been a significant increase in the number of patients attending A&Es with AGE symptoms and residents in sentinel RCHEs with vomiting. The number of AGE outbreaks increased sharply from seven recorded in the week ending December 28 last year to 19 in the week ending January 4, with some patient samples tested positive for norovirus in laboratory testing," a CHP spokesman said.
"In the past two weeks most outbreaks were recorded at RCHEs. The causes include improper handling of vomitus and improper use of bleach for cleaning and disinfection. Besides, some residents of the RCHEs became infected in the community after their vacations, further spreading the infection in the RCHEs," he added.
The CHP has provided infection control advice and training to the affected RCHEs and will keep in close liaison with the RCHEs to monitor the residents' conditions and ensure that the RCHEs have strictly implemented various infection control measures. The DH will also organise a seminar for RCHEs and residential care homes for persons with disabilities to educate their staff on effective measures to prevent AGE outbreaks and provide health advice, such as enhancing personal hygiene and environmental cleaning and disinfection in the RCHEs, as well as appropriate placement of residents with symptoms.
The CHP expects that norovirus activity will remain at a high level during the winter season and the risk of related outbreaks in schools will increase with the resumption of classes after the holidays. The spokesman stressed that norovirus is highly infectious and susceptible individuals can be infected by exposure to even a small amount of norovirus. The virus can be transmitted through various channels such as eating contaminated food, contact with vomitus or faecal matter of infected persons, and contact with contaminated objects, which may lead to a large-scale outbreak. Vomiting in a confined space with suboptimal ventilation poses a potential risk for an outbreak. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to properly and promptly clean up vomitus, and thoroughly disinfect the environment.
The CHP will issue letters to doctors, institutions, schools, kindergartens and child care centres to update them on the latest AGE situation and reminded management of institutions to follow theGuidelines on Prevention of Communicable Diseaseson preventive and control measures. In case there are AGE outbreaks, they should report to the CHP as soon as possible for immediate follow up.
Alcohol-based handrub should not substitute hand hygiene with liquid soap and water, as alcohol does not effectively kill some viruses frequently causing AGE, e.g. norovirus. The spokesman also reminded members of the public to take heed of the following preventive measures against gastroenteritis:
Ensure proper personal hygiene;
Wash hands thoroughly before handling food and eating, after using the toilet or after changing diapers;
Wear gloves and wash hands after handling vomitus or faecal matter;
Clean and disinfect contaminated areas or items promptly and thoroughly with 1:49 diluted household bleach (by adding one part of bleach containing 5.25 per cent sodium hypochlorite to 49 parts of water). Wash hands thoroughly afterwards;
Stay home from work or school, and seek medical advice if suffering from vomiting or diarrhea;
Maintain good indoor ventilation;
Pay attention to food hygiene;
Use separate utensils to handle raw and cooked food;
Avoid food that is not thoroughly cooked;
Drink boiled water; and
Do not patronise unlicensed food premises or food stalls.
Members of the public may visit the CHP's webpages for more information and preventive advice onnorovirus infection.
