This Aug 1, 2023, photo shows an aerial view of the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Zone. (PHOTO / XINHUA )

About five hectares of land – originally housing community isolation facilities – will be released from the southern end of the Hong Kong Park in the Loop for the construction of five buildings in batch one under Phase 1 of the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park.

The move will facilitate the development of the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Zone, the special administrative region government said in a statement explaining the move.

Batch one of Phase 1 of the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park comprises eight buildings. The first three buildings, under construction by the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park, are scheduled for completion in phases from end-2024.

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According to the statement, the community isolation facilities on the five-hectare site will be transferred to other suitable locations for reconfiguration and reuse. 

A majority of them will be moved to construction sites of government works projects to serve as site offices, rest rooms for site staff and material storage rooms, it added.

The Development Bureau will arrange for the constructors to begin transferring the facilities soon, aiming to complete the process within the first quarter. Later, the Civil Engineering and Development Department will commence the site formation works to start the construction of the five buildings.

Regarding the Central Government-Aided Emergency Hospital in the Loop, the HKSAR government said the Hospital Authority has been providing ambulatory diagnostic radiology services there since April 2023, considerably shortening patients’ waiting time and relieving the pressure on radiology services in public hospitals.

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Additionally, since October 2023, the services have been expanded to include microbiological examinations, diagnostic endoscopies and sleep studies to enhance the capacity of public healthcare services.

Such measures have been well received by the public, the Hospital Authority said, adding that it will continue to make better use of the specialized medical equipment and facilities in the hospital, and explore uses for healthcare-related purposes in order to meet local healthcare needs.