Briefs | Ferry hits Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge

A ferry sailing from Hong Kong to Macau carrying 74 people on board hit the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge on Saturday. Officials have announced that nobody was injured. The boat left Hong Kong at about 8:16 a.m. and collided with a concrete pillar of the bridge 24 minutes after departure. No water breached the hull, which was carrying a total of 67 passengers and seven crew members. The dense fog that fell upon Macau throughout the weekend caused transportation to slow across the city. Reportedly, the boat was sailing through the fog with very low visibility when the incident occurred. However, the potential causes of the crash are still under investigation.

Li Gang absent from NPC because of illness

Li Gang, the director of the Liaison Office has said that he missed the recent National People’s Congress (NPC) session because of an illness that has rendered him unable to remain seated for long periods of time, Macao Daily News reported yesterday. Li Gang told reporters in a meeting that he was not seriously ill, but that he did not attend the NPC because he “can’t remain sitting for too long.” He said he has been traveling back and forth between the hospital and the Liaison Office during the course of the NPC. “Unfortunately, I can’t go to Beijing to attend the meeting because of my physical condition. I have been paying attention to the NPC news every day, though.” He added that he no longer needs time to recover from his sickness.

Health Bureau fighting influenza with free vaccines

The Health Bureau (SSM) started providing seasonal influenza vaccines to all local residents for free on Saturday. The administration of these vaccines, which have been available since the end of September 2015, has now been extended to all residents aged six months and above. The SSM explained that these measures come in acknowledgment of the fact that the number of severe flu cases recorded in 2016 has already topped the figures from 2015. From the 13 registered cases of pneumonia caused by the flu, four have required treatment in the intensive care unit due to respiratory failure. The director of SSM, Lei Chin Ion, said last week that the Bureau purchased a total of 110,000 vaccines last year and that it expects the peak of the influenza to last until April.