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Apr exports value down 13%

The value of Hong Kong's total exports decreased to $338.3 billion in April, down 13% on the same month last year, the Census & Statistics Department announced today.   The value of imports of goods decreased 11.9% to $374.9 billion for the same period.   A trade deficit of $36.6 billion, or 9.8% of the value of imports, was recorded in April.   Comparing the three-month period ending April with the preceding three months on a seasonally adjusted basis, the value of exports rose 15.4%, while that of imports increased 10.7%.   The Government noted that the value of merchandise exports declined further from a year earlier in April. Exports to the Mainland, the US and the European Union all shrank and exports to other major Asian markets recorded decreases of varying degrees.   Looking ahead, it added that the weakness in the advanced economies will continue to weigh on Hong Kong's export performance, though the expected faster recovery of the Mainland economy should

Duo sentenced for hiding health data

Two people were sentenced by the courts today after being convicted for providing false information in relation to the Centre for Health Protection’s epidemiological investigation of COVID-19 cases.   The duo were patients of COVID-19. They were charged with violating the Prevention & Control of Disease (Disclosure of Information) Regulation.   The 30-year-old man provided false information to authorised officers on six occasions between April 16 and 18 while the 31-year-old woman provided false information to an authorised officer on April 17.   At the Kowloon City Magistrates' Courts, the man was sentenced to immediate imprisonment for three months while the woman was sentenced to imprisonment for 20 days.   The Department of Health said it is grossly irresponsible to conceal or provide false or misleading information to an authorised officer as such act may hinder the contact tracing process and pose a serious threat to public health.   Resolute action will be taken against those who have breached the relevant regulations, the department added.   Four people have been convicted so far for breaching the regulation.  
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