Remarks by SDEV on quarterly land sale programme for July to September 2026 (with video)
Following are the remarks by the Secretary for Development, Ms Bernadette Linn, at a media session today (July 10) on the quarterly land sale programme for July to September 2026:
Reporter: The home price went up 10 per cent this year, and it is faster than a lot of market expectation. You just said that the Government will only consider rolling out one small residential site for this quarter. Is there any consideration behind it? Are you worried if there is a limited supply, the house will become quite unaffordable?
Secretary forDevelopment: Basically, we are rolling out one residential site from our land sale list. It is a decision having regard also to the supply from other sources. Because for this second quarter in the financial year, we have another project contributing around 5 000 flats from the Mass Transit Railway Corporation. It's a railway-plus-property development project. We also have a project from the Urban Renewal Authority contributing over 1 000 flats, and this is already under tender for this quarter. So we believe taking all sources together, for this quarter, we already have quite a substantial turnout. So we believe rolling out one small site, and that is in the Kowloon urban area, should be something welcomed by the market.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)
Source: AI-found images
DH investigates hospital-acquired case of Legionnaires' disease
The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) said today (July 10) it is investigating a nosocomial (i.e. hospital-acquired) Legionnaires' disease (LD) case, and reminded the public of the importance of using and maintaining properly designed man-made water systems, adding that susceptible groups should strictly observe relevant precautions.
The case involves an 89-year-old male. He has been hospitalised at Hong Kong Sanatorium & Hospital (HKSH) since April 1 for his underlying illnesses, during which he occasionally experienced symptoms such as sputum production and shortness of breath. His shortness of breath worsened on July 6, prompting hospital staff to collect a respiratory specimen on the same day. The specimen collected tested positive for Legionella pneumophila (non-serogroup 1) by the Public Health Laboratory Services Branch under the CHP. The patient's condition improved following antibiotic treatment and is currently in stable condition.
Since the patient was hospitalised at HKSH throughout the incubation period (from June 26 to July 4), the CHP considered that this is a nosocomial case and conducted an environmental investigation at the hospital in order to determine the source of the infection.
A preliminary investigation revealed that, the patient had been admitted to a single-occupancy room in the general ward during the incubation period. The CHP collected 10 water samples and six environmental samples from the water tanks of the concerned building and the patient's ward. The results of laboratory testing are pending.
The CHP has instructed HKSH to suspend the use of the shower rooms in the ward concerned, thoroughly disinfect the water supply systems of the concerned ward and install bacterial filters as soon as possible. The CHP has also provided the hospital with health advice and medical surveillance recommendations, and will continue to closely monitor the implementation of these measures.
In addition, the CHP is arranging for other patients who were hospitalised on the same floor as the patient during the same period to undergo medical surveillance. No additional LD cases have been identified among them so far.
The CHP's investigation and follow-up work are ongoing.
Men, people aged over 50, smokers, alcoholics and persons with weakened immunity are more susceptible to LD. Some situations may also increase the risk of infection, including poor maintenance of water systems; living in areas with old water systems, cooling towers or fountains; using electric water heaters, whirlpool spas or hot water spring spas; and recent stays in hotels or ships.
Legionellae are found in various environmental settings and grow well in warm water (20 to 45 degrees Celsius). They can be found in aqueous environments such as water tanks, hot and cold water systems, cooling towers, whirlpool spas, water fountains, humidifiers and home respiratory devices that support breathing. People may become infected when they breathe in contaminated droplets (aerosols) and mist generated by artificial water systems, or when handling garden soil, compost and potting mixes.
Immunocompromised persons should:
- Use sterile or boiled water for drinking, tooth brushing and mouth rinsing;
- Avoid using humidifiers, or other mist- or aerosol-generating devices; and
- If using humidifiers, or other mist- or aerosol-generating devices, fill the water tank with only sterile or cooled freshly boiled water, and not water directly from the tap. Also, clean and maintain humidifiers/devices regularly according to manufacturers' instructions. Never leave stagnant water in a humidifier/device. Empty the water tank, wipe all surfaces dry, and change the water daily.
The public should observe the health advice below:
- Observe personal hygiene;
- Do not smoke and avoid alcohol consumption;
- Strainers in water taps and shower heads should be inspected, cleaned, descaled and disinfected regularly or at a frequency recommended by the manufacturer;
- If a fresh-water plumbing system is properly maintained, it is not necessary to install domestic water filters. Use of water filters is not encouraged as clogging occurs easily, which can promote growth of micro-organisms. In case water filters are used, the pore size should be 0.2 micrometres (µm) or less and the filter needs to be changed periodically according to the manufacturer's recommendations;
- Drain and clean water tanks of buildings at least quarterly;
- Drain or purge for at least one minute infrequently used water outlets (e.g. water taps, shower heads and hot water outlets) and stagnant points of the pipework weekly or before use;
- Seek and follow doctors' professional advice regarding the use and maintenance of home respiratory devices and use only sterile water (not distilled or tap water) to clean and fill the reservoir. Clean and maintain the device regularly according to the manufacturer's instructions. After cleaning/disinfection, rinse the device with sterile water, cooled freshly boiled water or water filtered with 0.2 µm filters. Never leave stagnant water in the device. Empty the water tank, keep all surfaces dry, and change the water daily; and
- When handling garden soil, compost and potting mixes:
- Wear gloves and a face mask;
- Water gardens and compost gently using low pressure;
- Open composted potting mixes slowly and make sure the opening is directed away from the face;
- Wet the soil to reduce dust when potting plants; and
- Avoid working in poorly ventilated places such as enclosed greenhouses.
The public may visit the CHP'sLD page, theCode of Practice for Prevention of LDand theHousekeeping Guidelines for Cold and Hot Water Systems for Building Managementof the Prevention of LD Committee, and the CHP'srisk-based strategyfor prevention and control of LD.
Additionally, as smokers and alcoholics are more susceptible to LD, the Government urgesmembers of the public to quit smoking and avoid drinking. Members of the public may call the DH Integrated Smoking Cessation Hotline at 1833 183, which is answered by registered nurses who provide professional counselling and referral to a wide range of free smoking cessation services. The public may also visit the smoking cessation thematic website (www.livetobaccofree.hk) for more information on smoking cessation. The DH has also developed and promulgated the Alcohol Screening and Brief Intervention tool to primary healthcare service providers to facilitate the early identification and management of at-riskdrinkers. For information on alcohol-related harm, please visit the DH'sChange for Health website.
Source: AI-found images
