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Mahbub Alam and Anish Ghosh
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Yingxiang Hu and Shicheng Xu
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The Security Bureau today said that the last Hong Kong resident who had contracted COVID-19 while aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship and was hospitalised in Japan has returned to Hong Kong.

 

Immigration Department staff that assisted Hong Kong residents in Japan have completed their mission and returned to Hong Kong as well.

 

In early February, a cluster of COVID-19 infection cases occurred on the Diamond Princess cruise docked in Yokohama.

 

Of some 3,700 passengers and crew, about 370 were from Hong Kong. The 712 confirmed COVID-19 cases associated with the cruise included 76 Hong Kong residents who were hospitalised in Japan for isolation and treatment.

 

While three Hong Kong residents passed away, the remaining 73 patients returned to Hong Kong or their places of residence after being discharged from the hospital.

 

As for other Hong Kong residents on the cruise, the bureau noted that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government arranged three flights, between February 19 and 23, to escort 193 of them back to the city.

 

Upon arrival, they were transferred to the quarantine centre at Chun Yeung Estate to undergo 14 days of quarantine.

 

Another 144 Hong Kong residents returned on their own via other flights, including 25 close contacts of the patients who had completed quarantine in Japan.

 

For those who returned to Hong Kong on their own and did not complete 14 days of quarantine in Japan, they were required to complete the remaining quarantine period at a quarantine centre.

 

Of the 231 cruise passengers admitted to the quarantine centre at Chun Yeung Estate, nine tested positive for COVID-19 and were sent to hospitals for isolation and treatment.

 

The Hong Kong SAR Government expressed profound condolences on the passing of the Hong Kong patients and its deepest sympathies to their families.

 

The SAR Government emphasised that the incident could not have been resolved smoothly without the staunch support of the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Japan and Japanese authorities.

 

The SAR Government also thanked Cathay Pacific Airways and the Airport Authority for their assistance, the bureau added.

The Financial Secretary just delivered the latest Budget on Wednesday. The Department of Justice would foster the policy initiatives relating to "Diversified Economy" and continue our ongoing works. The Inclusive Dispute Avoidance & Resolution Office (IDAR Office, email: idar@doj.gov.hk), which was set up in January last year, is to better co-ordinate and implement initiatives in the areas of dispute avoidance and resolution, thereby further consolidating our position as an international legal and dispute resolution services centre in the Asia-Pacific region.

 

The Department of Justice has always been actively striving for the presence of international dispute resolution bodies in Hong Kong in order to meet the upsurge in demand for legal and dispute resolution services arising from the Belt & Road Initiative and the Greater Bay Area Plan. Their presence in Hong Kong would also enhance our status as a leading centre for international legal and dispute resolution services. With the support of the Central People's Government, we are now exploring the possibility for the Asian-African Legal Consultative Organization (AALCO) to establish a regional centre for international commercial arbitration in Hong Kong.

 

Last year, the inter-sessional meetings of the Judgments Project of the Hague Conference on Private International Law were successfully concluded in Hong Kong. This invaluable experience has reinforced our determination in looking for decision-making meetings of international and intergovernmental organisations to be held in Hong Kong, including hosting the 59th Annual Session of AALCO and an intersessional meeting of UNCITRAL's Working Group III this year. High ranking government officials and legal experts from member states would take part in these meetings to discuss matters such as maritime law and cyber space law.

 

In addition, we are committed to strengthening Hong Kong's status as a regional capacity building centre which seeks to enhance legal infrastructure in the neighbouring regions and facilitate cross-border mobility and business activities. For instance, the Department of Justice organised the Investment Law & Investor-State Mediator Training Course for two consecutive years since 2018. World-renowned trainers were invited to share with the participants their experience in international investment law and investor-state mediation. We would be stepping up our efforts in organising capacity building courses in dispute resolution.

 

At the same time, the Department of Justice has reached an agreement with the Hague Academy of International Law, one of the world's leading academic institutes on international law, to support them in organising law courses in Hong Kong regularly in collaboration with the Asian Academy of International Law from this year. We anticipate this cooperation would provide Hong Kong and the neighbouring regions with high quality training for legal professionals, which helps further raise our international profile.

 

Looking ahead, colleagues in the Department of Justice would keep pursuing co-operation or partnership agreements with other jurisdictions and international organisations and host important events in Hong Kong, with a view to raising the international profile of Hong Kong in deal-making and dispute resolution through overseas capacity building and promotional activities.

 

Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng wrote this article and posted it on her blog on March 1.

It has been two months since the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government raised the COVID-19 response level to the highest level of “Emergency” on January 25. A month ago, I wrote an article titled “Continue Our Fight Determined to Win” to report on our anti-epidemic work in the first month. Today, I would like to review with you the developments of the epidemic and the Government’s responses over the past month, as well as make some urgent appeals.

 

Developments of the epidemic

 

In the period from mid-February to mid-March, the overall situation of the epidemic in Hong Kong was stable. There were almost no imported cases from the Mainland, and there were only single-digit new confirmed cases each day. If we exclude imported cases/cases with a travel history of Hong Kong residents and their close contacts, there were only sporadic local cases, and even zero local cases in 12 days. This shows that the whole community has a high awareness of disease prevention and has been vigilant in maintaining personal hygiene and social distancing, and the Government’s anti-epidemic measures have attained certain results.

 

However, as the disease is rapidly spreading overseas, the number of confirmed cases and the speed at which it increases are terrifying. The global number of confirmed cases reached 100,000 on March 6, exceeded 200,000 on March 18, and subsequently increased to 300,000 in just three days and to 400,000 today in another three days. Following the outbreak in Korea earlier, outbreaks occurred within a short time in places like Europe and the United States, with Italy and Spain becoming the most heavily hit regions.

 

 Cumulative number of confirmed cases in selected countries in Europe and America

 

 

Since there is a huge difference in the population of every country and region, considering the number of confirmed cases alone may not reflect the severity of the epidemic in different places. The incidence rate of infection per million population is therefore a common indicator:

 

Countries and regions

Cumulative no. of confirmed cases

Population (million)

Incidence rate (cases per million population)

Mainland China

81,218

1,435.0

56.6

Italy

69,176

60.5

1,144.1

United States of America

44,183

331.0

133.5

Spain

39,673

46.8

848.5

Germany

27,436

83.8

327.5

France

22,300

65.3

341.6

Korea

9,137

51.3

178.2

United Kingdom

8,077

67.9

119.0

Switzerland

8,015

8.7

926.1

Australia

1,709

5.5

309.7

Japan

1,193

126.5

9.4

Singapore

558

5.9

95.4

Hong Kong

387

7.5

51.6

Taiwan

216

23.8

9.1

Macau

30

0.65

46.2

(Figures as at March 24)

From the chart and table above, we can actually see that Hong Kong’s situation is better than quite a number of regions in Europe, America and Asia Pacific. During discussions and in literature regarding this disease, I always hear experts say that the Government should strive to flatten the curve. From the chart below, we can see that the curve for Hong Kong, before rising almost linearly in the recent ten days due to the large increase in imported cases, was quite flat. Yet, this relatively stable situation has changed since mid-March, which is worrying. 

 

Cumulative number of confirmed cases in Hong Kong

 

 

Due to the escalating epidemic and the gradual suspension of local universities and boarding schools in Europe and the United States, a large number of Hong Kong residents and students studying abroad returned to Hong Kong. This wave of return to Hong Kong led to a great increase in imported cases. In the past 14 days, close to 90% of confirmed cases (233 cases in total) either have been abroad or are close contacts of these confirmed cases. Just Hong Kong residents studying in the United Kingdom account for 28 confirmed cases.

 

The expert advisory panel of the Government’s Steering Committee & Command Centre pointed out that although the drastic increase in number of cases is worrying, Hong Kong can still contain the epidemic as long as we step up the containment strategy adopted previously and have the support of the general public.

 

Anti-epidemic efforts

 

The inter-departmental Steering Committee & Command Centre chaired by me has remained vigilant over the past month. During the time when the infection situation was rather stable, we still kept a close watch on the developments of the epidemic in the local community and in other places of the world. We also made use of the opportunity to make necessary preparations for future anti-epidemic work. These include enhancing community surveillance through free virus tests, providing more isolation and quarantine centres, increasing the production and procurement of surgical masks and other personal protective equipment, and implementing over 20 initiatives under the Anti-epidemic Fund to support the sectors and members of the public hard hit by the epidemic. In the first half of March when the epidemic became more serious, we acted promptly and implemented numerous measures to cope with the situation within a short period of time.

 

Major measures implemented by the Government to respond to the developments of the epidemic in the past month are set out in the following table.

 

Date

Event

February 28

Issuing the Red Outbound Travel Alert (OTA) on three regions in Italy, and issuing quarantine orders to people arriving in Hong Kong who have been to the above three regions or to Iran where the Red OTA remains in force in the past 14 days (regardless of whether they are Hong Kong residents) starting from March 1.

February 28

The Hospital Authority (HA) extended the Enhanced Laboratory Surveillance Programme to cover patients below 18 years old and those with fever or respiratory symptoms subject to clinical assessment of physician in charge.

March 2

Government bureaus/departments gradually resumed more public services with the implementation of targeted measures to reduce social contact and infection control measures.

March 4

Hong Kong residents returning to Hong Kong from the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan  completed quarantine by batches. Nine of them were confirmed to be infected after returning to Hong Kong.

March 4-5

Sending four chartered flights to bring back a total of 469 Hong Kong residents stranded in Hubei Province to Hong Kong, and arranging them to stay in a quarantine centre.

March 8

Expanding the health declaration arrangements at the Hong Kong International Airport from inbound flights from the Mainland to all flights arriving in Hong Kong.

March 9

The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) extended the Enhanced Laboratory Surveillance Programme to cover all private clinics and hospitals.

March 10

Issuing the Red OTA on some regions in France, Germany, Japan and Spain as well as on the entire country of Italy, and issuing quarantine orders to people arriving in Hong Kong who have been to the above regions or countries in the past 14 days (regardless of whether they are Hong Kong residents)
starting from March 14.

March 13

Issuing the Red OTA on 26 European countries in the Schengen Area, and issuing quarantine orders to people arriving in Hong Kong who have been to the above countries in the past 14 days (regardless of whether they are Hong Kong residents) starting from March 17.

March 13

Announcing adjustments to the health quarantine arrangements on inbound travellers from overseas to reserve more quarantine facilities for the close contacts of confirmed cases.

March 14

Following three confirmed cases in Heng Tai House, Fu Heng Estate in Tai Po, some residents had to be evacuated to quarantine centres. Four environmental samples tested positive later.

March 15

Issuing the Red OTA on Ireland, the United Kingdom and the United States, and issuing quarantine orders to people arriving in Hong Kong who have been to the above countries or to Egypt where the Red OTA remains in force in the past 14 days (regardless of whether they are Hong Kong residents) starting from March 19.

March 17

Issuing the Red OTA on all overseas countries/territories and issuing quarantine orders to people arriving in Hong Kong who have been to the above countries/regions in the past 14 days (regardless of whether they are Hong Kong residents) starting from March 19.

19 March

Hong Kong residents returning to Hong Kong from Hubei Province completed quarantine by batches. Only one of them was confirmed to be infected.

March 19

The CHP extended the Enhanced Laboratory Surveillance Programme to cover inbound travellers under quarantine from overseas. Priority was accorded to persons under quarantine aged 65 or above or persons under quarantine residing with elderly aged 65 or above.

March 19

To handle a large number of people arriving in Hong Kong via the Hong Kong International Airport, the HA established test centres at the AsiaWorld-Expo and North Lantau Hospital. People arriving in Hong Kong with upper respiratory symptoms will undergo virus tests and wait for the laboratory results there. Subject to the test results, they will be admitted to hospital or subject to home quarantine.

March 20

The Immigration Department closely monitored anti-epidemic measures implemented by the Moroccan authorities and rendered assistance to Hong Kong residents stranded in the country.

March 21

Announcing enhanced measures to control the disease, which include:

The HA and the DH will fully utilise all resources for testing and enhance testing for people returning to Hong Kong from overseas; Resuming the special work arrangements for civil servants implemented before March 2 to provide limited-scale public services; Deferring the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education examination; Stepping up enforcement actions against contravention of quarantine orders; Strengthening disease prevention at residential care homes for the elderly and people with disabilities.

March 21

Announcing adjustments to the health quarantine arrangements on people arriving in Hong Kong from Hubei Province (except Wuhan) to reserve more quarantine facilities for the close contacts of confirmed cases.

March 23

Announcing more anti-epidemic measures, which include:

Starting from March 25, all non-Hong Kong residents coming from overseas countries and regions by plane will be denied entry to Hong Kong; non-Hong Kong residents coming from the Mainland, Macau and Taiwan will be denied entry to Hong Kong if they have been to any overseas countries and regions in the past 14 days; all transit services at Hong Kong International Airport will be suspended; and all travellers coming from Macau and Taiwan will be subject to compulsory quarantine; Stepping up virus testing for arriving persons from the United Kingdom, other countries in Europe and the United States; Taking stringent enforcement actions to combat breaches of quarantine orders; Strengthening social distancing measures, including a proposal to introduce legislation to temporarily prohibit the sale and supply of alcoholic drinks by restaurants, bars and clubs.

March 24

Stepping up enforcement against breaches of quarantine orders and appealing to the public to make use of the “e-Report Room” online platform to report breaches.

March 25

Sending the second batch of chartered flights to take Hong Kong residents stranded in Hubei Province back to Hong Kong.

 

We have adhered to the people-oriented principle throughout our anti-epidemic work and have proactively supported Hong Kong people affected by the epidemic. For example, we overcame all kinds of challenges to bring back Hong Kong people stranded in Hubei Province by batches; we sent a special team comprising immigration officers and healthcare officers to take care of the Diamond Princess cruise ship passengers who stayed in Japan to receive medical treatment; and we provided support to Hong Kong residents who were stranded in Morocco and Peru. We also exercised discretion to extend the stay of carers on two-way permit in Hong Kong and prioritised the handling of Speedpost items containing surgical masks. We co-operated with the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions to deliver prescription medications to Hong Kong people in the Mainland and introduced a flexible arrangement to extend the validity period of the contracts of foreign domestic helpers, etc.

 

We have also continued to uphold the principle of operating in an open and transparent manner in our anti-epidemic efforts. Through the daily press conferences by the CHP and the HA, media sessions by the Chief Executive and secretaries of departments and directors of bureaus, the designated website “coronavirus.gov.hk”, the Facebook pages of the CHP and “Tamar Talk”, the Interactive Map Dashboard, social media and more, we provide the public with the latest information on the disease and clarify rumours. The Interactive Map Dashboard is very popular and has attracted about 16 million views since its launch.

 

Fighting the virus together

 

In the face of the severe situation of the epidemic, I would like to once again thank all the healthcare and government anti-epidemic officers (including auxiliary forces, retired civil servants and volunteers) who fight the disease at the forefront. I would like to also thank the four professors on the expert advisory panel and the research and development teams of universities and innovation and technology companies for making suggestions on the prevention and control of the disease as well as our citizens who have put up with the inconvenience in their daily lives to safeguard Hong Kong. All of them are our anti-epidemic heroes. The governing team and I will stay committed to our duties, remain calm and stay vigilant in our fight against the disease.

 

To win the battle against the disease, the continuous support and co-operation of every Hong Kong citizen are of the utmost importance. We believe that a large number of Hong Kong citizens will continue to come back Hong Kong in the following weeks because of the worsening situation overseas and hence confirmed cases will inevitably continue to increase. The situation will be more severe and difficult to handle than any period in the past two months and may even lead to large-scale and a continuous outbreak in the community. This is a critical moment in the fight against the disease and also a moment for testing the resilience of Hong Kong people in the face of the epidemic.

 

Fighting the virus is a long battle and the process is arduous. It is not easy to stay at home for a long period of time without normal activities and social interactions, but it is definitely not the time to let our guard down, otherwise the hard efforts of Hong Kong citizens in the past two months will be undone and the consequences could be dire. I appeal to all members of the public to continue to fight the disease together. I have no doubt that as long as we stay united, work together and support each other, Hong Kong will finally win the battle against the disease.

 

Chief Executive Carrie Lam issued this article "Two Months into Our Fight, Continue to Stay Vigilant" on March 25.

The Leisure & Cultural Services Department will present Nobody but a princess..., a multimedia production featuring Nordic singers, dancers from the Hong Kong Ballet and overseas acrobats from November 8 to 10.

 

A story of a modern princess who discovers her identity and true love through her fantastic journey of wonders, the performance will be staged in a custom-made giant dome, complete with a state-of-the-art kinetic light display and pyrotechnics.

 

It will be held at 6pm, 7pm and 8.30pm from November 8 to 10 at the Cultural Centre Piazza.

 

The show will be conducted in English and include a strobe light effect. Admission is free.

 

Click here for details.

With the novel coronavirus expected to further impact Hong Kong’s already slowing economy, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is working hand in hand with local small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to brave the...

Chairman of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) Dr Peter Lam welcomes the new 2020-21 Budget, including the additional HK$150 million funding to the HKTDC to help Hong Kong businesses find new opportunities and to help the...

The Les Arcs Co-Production village, running December 13-16 within the Les Arcs European Film Festival (Dec 13-20), will present 25 projects in development and a further 10 works-in-progress. Several of the projects chosen for this year’s event are Irish films and films with Irish producers’ backing.

Plans for a new multi-million euro film production hub in County Limerick have been set in motion. An agreement has been arranged between Limerick City and County Council and Ardmore Studios, which in the past has provided facilities for several popular film and television productions such as ‘Braveheart’, ‘Excalibur’, ‘The Tudors’ and ‘Camelot’, and more recently for ‘Frank’ and ‘Penny Dreadful’.

Banks and financial institutions taking part in providing mortgage loans for the Housing Authority Subsidised Sale Flats Scheme (SSFS) may offer a mortgage principal moratorium plan to the scheme’s mortgagors.

 

The authority today wrote to these institutions to confirm and agree that such a plan is applicable for SSFS flats.

 

Principal repayment may be deferred for a maximum 12-month period and the mortgage loan repayment period may be extended correspondingly by a maximum of 12 months.

 

The principal moratorium period may commence by December 31 this year at the latest.

 

The arrangement is applicable to the Home Ownership Scheme, the Private Sector Participation Scheme, the Buy or Rent Option Scheme, the Tenants Purchase Scheme and the Green Form Subsidised Home Ownership Scheme in the primary market and under the Secondary Market Scheme.

 

To encourage participating financial institutions to provide mortgage loans and better mortgage terms for SSFS flat purchasers, the authority provides a mortgage default guarantee for them.

 

It undertakes to meet the shortfall in repayment in the event of default by the borrowers under specified circumstances during the guarantee period.

 

Due to the requirements in the guarantee deed on the mortgage loan period and the monthly instalment amount, participating financial institutions may not be able to offer a mortgage principal moratorium plan to SSFS flat owners.

 

In light of the economic downturn arising from the COVID-19 outbreak, the authority confirmed today that a mortgage principal moratorium plan is applicable for SSFS flats.

 

The move will encourage participating financial institutions to offer such a plan to SSFS flat owners, reducing their burden of mortgage repayment.

The Office of the Communications Authority (OFCA) today announced the launch of the Subsidy Scheme for Encouraging Early Deployment of the fifth-generation mobile technology.

 

Launched under the second round of the Anti-epidemic Fund, the scheme is open for applications until November 30 on a first come, first served basis.

 

It encourages various sectors to deploy 5G technology early to foster innovation and smart city applications and to improve the efficiency of their operations and the quality of their services that enhance Hong Kong's competitiveness.

 

The scheme will subsidise 50% of the actual cost directly relevant to the deployment of 5G technology in an approved project, subject to a cap of $500,000.

 

About 100 qualified projects will be subsidised.

 

Click here for more details.

 

For enquiries, call 2961 6333 or send an email to the OFCA.

The Minimum Wage Commission today launched an eight-week public consultation to review the statutory minimum wage rate.

 

The commission said it adopts an evidence-based approach in conducting the minimum wage rate review and will consider the community's views.

 

Views can be sent by email before June 16.

 

Click here for information.

The Transport Department today said that public transport operators will resume and strengthen services to meet the travelling needs of candidates sitting for the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination (DSE), which will start on April 24.

 

At the department's request, KMB, Citybus, New World First Bus and New Lantao Bus will resume bus routes serving school areas that were previously suspended, and will strengthen the services as appropriate to meet passenger demand.

 

For the Mass Transit Railway, except for the Airport Express and Disneyland Resort Line, heavy rail services will be gradually enhanced, starting from 6.15am to 6.30am during the exam period.

 

Light Rail and MTR bus services serving school areas will also be strengthened.

     

The department has reminded green minibus operators to closely monitor the transport demand and strengthen services as appropriate throughout the exam period.

 

Its Emergency Transport Co-ordination Centre will closely monitor the traffic situation and co-ordinate with major public transport operators to adjust frequency flexibly and strengthen services when necessary.

      

The department appealed to all DSE candidates to familiarise themselves with public transport routes to be taken to examination centres in advance and allow sufficient travelling time.

The Minimum Wage Commission will submit to the Chief Executive in Council its recommendation report on the statutory minimum wage rate by the end of October at the latest.

 

In accordance with the Minimum Wage Ordinance, the Chief Executive has required the commission to submit its recommendation report on or before October 31.

 

Pursuant to the ordinance, the commission must maintain an appropriate balance between the objectives of forestalling excessively low wages and minimising the loss of low-paid jobs as well as the need to sustain the city's economic growth and competitiveness.

 

The commission is conducting a public consultation on the statutory minimum wage rate review.

 

Views can be sent by email before June 16.

 

Click here for the consultation details.

Erika Leung
Aug 1, 2018; 31:245-253
From Research to Practice

Gretchen Benson
Feb 1, 2011; 24:36-40
Nutrition FYI

Ruban Dhaliwal
Feb 1, 2014; 27:9-20
Research to Practice

Jeanette Ezzo
Oct 1, 2001; 14:
Articles

Ekta Singh
Nov 1, 2012; 25:217-221
From Research to Practice

W. Guyton Hornsby
Apr 1, 2005; 18:102-107
Articles

Belinda S. O’Connell
Aug 1, 2001; 14:
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Pasquale Passarella
Aug 1, 2018; 31:218-224
From Research to Practice

Amy P. Campbell
May 1, 2017; 30:76-81
From Research to Practice

Samuel Dagogo-Jack
Jan 1, 2002; 15:
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Geralyn Spollett
Jan 1, 2003; 16:
Case Studies

Property management companies and owners’ organisations which have successfully applied for an anti-epidemic support scheme were reminded today to disburse the hardship allowance to frontline workers as soon as practicable upon receiving the subsidies.

 

The Home Affairs Department said the workers concerned shall acknowledge receipt of the allowance using the prescribed forms.

 

The property management companies or owners’ organisations shall submit a report on the allowance’s overall payment to the Property Management Services Authority within three months of receiving the subsidies.

 

The department and/or the authority will conduct a random review and check to ensure that the frontline property management workers have received the allowance.

 

As of today, more than 8,160 applications have been received for the Anti-epidemic Support Scheme for Property Management Sector under the Anti-epidemic Fund.

 

About 2,850 applications have been approved, involving more than $100 million in subsidies and benefitting more than 17,500 building blocks and about 25,500 frontline workers.

 

Call 3696 1156 or 3696 1166 for enquiries.

The Government is set to revive the economy through different measures and everyone should act together to attain this goal.

 

Secretary for Financial Services & the Treasury Christopher Hui made the remarks today after attending a radio programme, saying the economy has been seriously affected by the epidemic.

 

“I think right now the immediate priority is definitely to revive the economy because after all, we have been subjected to many restrictions on all you can imagine in the past few months due to COVID-19.

 

“So the immediate priority is really for us to act together to revive the economy through different measures.

 

“And the measures that are subject to the Legislative Council’s approval as you have seen over the past few days, I think are definitely something that we want to do in order to provide a sort of foundation for our economic recovery.”

The Mortgage Corporation today announced that the pilot scheme for fixed-rate mortgages will start receiving applications from May 7.

 

The aggregate loan amount of the Fixed-rate Mortgage Pilot Scheme is $1 billion, subject to a maximum loan amount of each private residential mortgage of $10 million.

 

Financial Secretary Paul Chan said the pilot scheme, announced in the 2020-21 Budget, provides an alternative financing option to homebuyers for mitigating their risks arising from interest rate volatility, thereby promoting the development of the mortgage market in the long run.

 

In response to the change in market interest rates, mortgage interest rates under the pilot scheme have been lowered, as compared to the levels previously announced in the Budget. The interest rates per annum for 10, 15 and 20 years are 2.55%, 2.65% and 2.75%.

  

Mortgages under the pilot scheme will be offered through Bank of China, Chong Hing Bank, Dah Sing Bank, Industrial & Commercial Bank of China, Shanghai Commercial Bank, Standard Chartered Bank and The Bank of East Asia.

 

At the end of the fixed-rate period, borrowers may either re-fix the mortgage rate under fixed-rate mortgages or convert the mortgage to a loan on a floating rate, which is the prime rate minus 2.35%.

 

The pilot scheme will be effective until October 31.

(To watch the full press briefing with sign language interpretation, click here.)

 

Chief Executive Carrie Lam today said law enforcement agencies are investigating cases where police officers are suspected of breaching property rules and will give a full account to society.

 

Speaking to reporters before the Executive Council meeting this morning, Mrs Lam said nobody is above the law.

 

“The law will be applied in the same manner regardless of the status, the background, the political affiliation of that particular person.

 

“As far as I am concerned, as the Chief Executive of Hong Kong and also as an individual, no law-breaking behaviour is acceptable. But it is not for me to stand here to judge each and every case because every case or every complaint has to be investigated and analysed by the law enforcement agencies.

 

“I am sure that they will do it as diligently as possible and will give a full account to society, especially given the recent concerns.”

The 'unicorn letter', sent by some of the best-funded private technology companies in the country, asks the chancellor to form an urgent taskforce to give them access to government-backed lending schemes during the pandemic

The Treasury has announced a new set of financial measures aimed at helping startups during the coronavirus pandemic, including a £250 Future Fund for startups with at least £250,000 in funding

The AMS is pleased to announce that Scott Hershberger has been chosen as the 2020 AMS Mass Media Fellow. Scott studied mathematics and physics at Washington University in St. Louis and will graduate in May 2020. He will be working at Scientific American this summer.

The Mass Media Science and Engineering Fellows program is organized by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). This program is designed to improve public understanding of science and technology by placing advanced undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate science, mathematics and engineering students in media outlets nationwide. The fellows work for ten weeks over the summer as reporters, researchers, and production assistants alongside media professionals to sharpen their communication skills and increase their understanding of the editorial process by which events and ideas become news.

Now in its 45th year, this fellowship program has placed more than 700 fellows in media organizations nationwide as they research, write, and report today’s headlines. The program is designed to report science-related issues in the media in easy-to-understand ways so as to improve public understanding and appreciation for science and technology.

For more information on the AMS Mass Media Fellowship, visit the website.

Xavier Bressaud, Universite Paul Sabatier, and Nicolas Fournier, Universite Paris-Est - A publication of the Societe Mathematique de France, 2013, 138 pp., Softcover, ISBN-13: 978-2-85629-765-0, List: US$48, All AMS Members: US$38.40, SMFMEM/132 The authors consider the one-dimensional generalized forest fire process: at each site of (mathbb{Z}), seeds and matches fall according to i.i.d....

David J. Benson, University of Aberdeen, Henning Krause, University of Bielefeld, and Andrzej Skowronski, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Editors - A publication of the European Mathematical Society, 2013, 378 pp., Hardcover, ISBN-13: 978-3-03719-125-5, List: US$98, Institutional Member: US$78.40, All Individuals: US$78.40, EMSSCR/9 This volume presents a collection of articles devoted to representations of algebras and related topics. Dististinguished experts in this field...