Today in HK (12/16/2024)
As the shopping habits of customers have changed, more brands are opening online shops. Additionally, residents are more likely to shift to the mainland to buy and eat at a lower cost. Therefore, the retail industry is experiencing a recession and many companies are closing in 2025, according to the senior director of retail at JLL in Hong Kong, Jeanette Chan. However, the online shop industry is buoyant. A Hong Kong enterprise, JaneClare, has seized the opportunity of online business and made a great success. According to its chairwoman Angela Lee, a single live stream can earn them "hundreds of thousands" of dollars, which is inaccessible for physical stores.
After a multiple-entry visa scheme for Shenzhen was resumed, the number of mainland tourists visiting Hong Kong has jumped by about 17% compared with the data recorded on November 30. According to the visitors, the visa change removed the inconvenience of traveling to Hong Kong, and the Christmas atmosphere in Hong Kong attracted them, so they toured Hong Kong. Besides the success, The industry administrator claimed that attractions had to be greater diverse to keep the momentum of arrivals.
To attract more applicants to fill 6,612 vacancies, including about 1,350 more constables and around 240 extra inspectors, Hong Kong police have held an inaugural firing range show at their large-scale recruitment event, intending to let attendees "feel the impact" of their weapons. Visitors could undergo fitness exams and attend interview workshops, and hopefuls were able to take a written test and be interviewed straightly. According to official statistics, the numbers of officers and civilian staff are 27,039 and 3,961 since 2022.
To allow officials to move resources between facilities more efficiently on Hong Kong Island, health authorities are considering reorganizing public hospital services. According to the Secretary for Health, Thomas Chan Chung-ching, the population size of the Hong Kong East Cluster is going to decrease, while that of the West Cluster is going to increase, so the service demand will shift slightly to the western side, and the restructuring plan allows the usefulness of the East Cluster to assist the West Cluster when there are spare aids. He promised that no residents would lose access to their hospital after the restructuring.
Hong Kong is likely to become one of the first districts to use a new treatment developed by Oculis Holding, a Swiss firm, to treat diabetic macular edema (DME), a diabetic eye disease. This novel medicine is called OCS-01. According to reliable data, 2/3 of people suffering from DME are not receiving medical support, and OCS-01 has the potential to help deal with the problem.
