Grading of beach water quality released
The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (June 26) released the latest grading of water quality for 39 gazetted beaches (see Note 1) and one non-gazetted beach (see Note 2).
Fifteen beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1), 19 as Fair (Grade 2) and six as Poor (Grade 3).
Grade 1 beaches are:
| Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach* | Shek O Beach* |
| Deep Water Bay Beach* | South Bay Beach* |
| Hung Shing Yeh Beach* | St. Stephen's Beach |
| Kiu Tsui Beach | Stanley Main Beach* |
| Kwun Yam Beach | Tai Po Lung Mei Beach* |
| Lo So Shing Beach | Tong Fuk Beach |
| Middle Bay Beach | Upper Cheung Sha Beach |
| Repulse Bay Beach* | |
Grade 2 beaches are:
| Anglers' Beach* | Hap Mun Bay Beach* |
| Butterfly Beach* | Kadoorie Beach |
| Cafeteria New Beach | Lower Cheung Sha Beach |
| Cafeteria Old Beach | Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach* |
| Castle Peak Beach | Pui O Beach* |
| Chung Hom Kok Beach | Silver Mine Bay Beach* |
| Clear Water Bay First Beach | Silverstrand Beach* |
| Clear Water Bay Second Beach* | Trio Beach |
| Discovery Bay Tai Pak Beach [Non-gazetted beach] | Turtle Cove Beach |
| Golden Beach* | |
Grade 3 beaches are:
| Approach Beach | Hoi Mei Wan Beach |
| Big Wave Bay Beach* | Lido Beach* |
| Casam Beach* | Ting Kau Beach* |
Compared with the grading released last week, Deep Water Bay Beach and Stanley Main Beach have been upgraded from Grade 2 to Grade 1, Trio Beach from Grade 3 to Grade 2, and Big Wave Bay Beach from Grade 4 to Grade 3. Hap Mun Bay Beach has been changed from Grade 1 to Grade 2, and Approach Beach, Casam Beach, Lido Beach and Ting Kau Beach from Grade 2 to Grade 3.
"The changes are generally within the normal range of fluctuation of the bacteriological water quality of the beaches," an EPD spokesman said.
Under the present grading system, beaches are classified into four grades, namely Good (Grade 1), Fair (Grade 2), Poor (Grade 3) and Very Poor (Grade 4), according to the level of E. coli in the water. Grades are calculated on the basis of the geometric mean of the E. coli counts on the five most recent sampling occasions.
While the ratings represent the general water quality at the beaches, the EPD spokesman reminded members of the public that water quality could be temporarily affected during and after periods of heavy rain. Bathers should avoid swimming at beaches for up to three days after a tropical cyclone or heavy rainfall.
A summary of beach grades is published weekly before the weekend. The latest beach grades based on the most current data may be obtained from the EPD's website on Beach Water Quality (www.epd.gov.hk/epd/beach) or the beach hotline, 2511 6666. Members of the public can also obtain the latest daily water quality forecast information for all beaches that are open for swimming through the EPD's dedicated webpage on the beach water quality forecast (www.epd.gov.hk/en/BWQForecast).
Note 1: Lifesaving services are provided by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department at 21 gazetted beaches, marked with an asterisk (*) above, from June 1. For details, please refer to the Leisure and Cultural Services Department's Special Announcement (www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/beach/index.html).
Note 2: This refers to Discovery Bay Tai Pak Beach which has no lifesaving service.
Source: AI-found images
Government to introduce Medical Registration (Amendment) Bill 2026 into LegCo
The Medical Registration (Amendment) Bill 2026 was gazetted today (June 26) to introduce a series of reforms to the Medical Council of Hong Kong (MCHK) (see Annex).
The Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau said, "The MCHK performs important functions such as accreditation of local medical school programmes and medical interns' training upon their graduation, registration of medical practitioners, Licensing Examination for non-locally trained medical practitioners, continuing medical education and formulation of professional codes and guidelines, and handling complaints concerning professional conduct of medical practitioners. They are the vital components in ensuring the high quality and high efficiency of the healthcare system in Hong Kong.
"To enhance the executive-led structure and promote good governance, the Health Bureau has proposed to amend the Medical Registration Ordinance (MRO) after a comprehensive review of the provisions, putting forward holistic and targeted reform measures to bring relevant legislations and the professional regulatory regime up to date, supporting the MCHK to discharge their statutory duties in a more effective manner in fulfilling its mission of ensuring justice, maintaining professionalism and protecting the public."
Detailed amendment proposals under the Bill include: (1) reforming the composition of the MCHK to diversify the professional views and include more lay members with healthcare professional backgrounds, maintaining professional autonomy and self-discipline while reflecting different angles in society and promoting cross-disciplinary collaboration; (2) enhancing the MCHK's complaint handling mechanism by making it more independent, fairer, more transparent and efficient, increasing support to the MCHK, and requiring the MCHK to devise and promulgate target timeframes for various stages of complaint handling; (3) strengthen protection for society, including immediately suspending the right to practise of medical practitioners convicted of serious offences; and (4) other relevant amendments to dovetail with the need for medical training, continuing medical education and talent attraction.
Professor Lo stressed, "Handling complaints and conducting disciplinary inquiries are important functions of the MCHK. When the professional competence or conduct of individual medical practitioners may fail to meet the required standard, the MCHK will decide through inquiries whether to impose disciplinary sanctions in accordance with its independent quasi-judicial functions empowered by the MRO. In the drafting of the Bill, the Government made reference to the review carried out by the MCHK upon request by the Government on their complaint handling mechanism, and the Ombudsman's direct investigation operation report on the relevant work of the Secretariat of the MCHK, and met with Legislative Council (LegCo) members who were concerned with the subject, patient organisations, medical training institutions, professional bodies of the medical profession and more. I would like to express my gratitude for their invaluable advice."
The Bill will be introduced into the LegCo for first reading on July 8.
Source: AI-found images
