The Chief Secretary for Administration of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, today (December 22) led expert advisors and government officials to attend a meeting in Shenzhen to exchange views with Mainland experts and officials on the COVID-19 epidemic situation.
      
     HKSAR experts participating in the meeting include the Dean of Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine of the University of Hong Kong (HKU), Professor Gabriel Leung; the Chair of Infectious Diseases, Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine of HKU, Professor Yuen Kwok-yung; and the Stanley Ho Professor of Respiratory Medicine of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Professor David Hui.

     Mr Cheung expressed gratitude for the Central Government's staunch support all along to the HKSAR Government's anti-epidemic efforts, which include assistance rendered in the smooth implementation of the Universal Community Testing Programme, construction of community treatment facilities and a temporary hospital, as well as its agreement for reservation of a certain amount of the Mainland vaccines for use by Hong Kong people when necessary. He said that HKSAR accorded top priority to disease control and would continue to implement the policies on "preventing the importation of cases and the spreading of virus in the community" in full steam in a bid to curb the epidemic by an all-round approach. The meeting facilitated exchanges between experts from both sides and would be useful to Hong Kong in implementing its strategy in preventing and fighting the virus.

     During the meeting, the Mainland experts shared their views on the analysis and assessment of the current development of the pandemic around the world and on the Mainland, as well as the strategies, policies and measures for fighting the epidemic. In addition, experts from both sides exchanged views on various prevention and control measures, including preventing the importation of cases, virus testing, the usage and management of health codes, etc. The Mainland experts also introduced the research and development as well as use of COVID-19 vaccines on the Mainland and had useful exchanges on relevant issues with experts from Hong Kong.

     The Secretary for Food and Health, Professor Sophia Chan; the Secretary for the Civil Service, Mr Patrick Nip; the Secretary for Innovation and Technology, Mr Alfred Sit; the Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Mr Erick Tsang Kwok-wai; the Director of the Chief Executive's Office, Mr Chan Kwok-ki; the Vice Minister of the National Health Commission, Mr Lei Haichao; the Deputy Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, Mr Huang Liuquan; and the Deputy Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR, Ms Qiu Hong also attended the meeting.

Ends/Tuesday, December 22, 2020
Issued at HKT 20:19

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