U.S. Consulate General Hong Kong
Macau Day - May 24, 2006
On Wednesday, May 24, 2006, our staff will travel to Macau to provide limited services for American Citizens. Services to be offered during this visit include notarials (US$30/HKD240 for each signature of consular officer), passport processing (US$82/HKD656, US$67/HKD536, or US$97/HKD776 depending on age and type), and birth registration (US$65/HKD520 for each child). These services will be available from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Academy of Music, located at Rua de Santa Clara, No. 19, 2/F., adjacent to City Hall and near Catholic Social Services, Rua de Santa Clara 13, Macau. Clients who are physically challenged and/or require special arrangements to access this location may call 2841-2211, 2841-2323 or 2841-2225 in advance to facilitate access.
To enable us to best assist you in Macau-
-- Please check our website (http://www.hongkongacs.com) for information on what specific identification, forms and supporting documents are required for each service.
-- Please present your passport for all services.
-- Please bring the original and one photocopy of each piece of identification and/or supporting document (such as passports, birth certificates, marriage and divorce certificates, Macau ID cards, etc.).
-- Please have all relevant form(s) completed before requesting any passport services. Download the forms from our web site.
-- Blank visa pages may be added to undamaged U.S. passports, free of charge. Additional visa pages will not be added to one year emergency passports or to damaged passports. Download the necessary forms from our web site. If you need extra pages for your passport, please fax us a copy of your passport's personal data page by noon on May 23, 2006 (Tuesday). Please write "Macau - Extra Pages" at the top and fax to (852) 2845-4845.
-- Please bring exact cash (US or HK dollars) for any fee services you require. Patacas will not be accepted.
-- If you need a service not listed above, please contact us in advance at 2841-2211, 2841-2323, or 2841-2225. We may be able to bring with us what you need for that service.
Typhoon Season
The annual typhoon and rainy season has begun and is expected to last until September. Please be advised that if Typhoon Signal 8 or above OR Black Rainstorm Warning is announced by the Hong Kong Government, the Consulate General will be closed. In the event of closure, all individuals with American Citizens Services appointments are requested to return to the Consulate General with their original appointment confirmation letters anytime from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. OR 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. within five working days after the Consulate re-opens.
Please refer to the following Hong Kong Government website for the latest weather-related warnings: http://www.weather.gov.hk/contente.htm
CDC Travelers' Health Information: Recent Measles and Mumps Outbreaks
Measles and mumps remain common diseases in most parts of the world, including some developed countries. For travelers, the risk for exposure to measles and mumps outside the United States can be high, and both diseases can be prevented by the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine. Ongoing outbreaks of measles and mumps in several countries highlight the importance of ensuring that all travelers (regardless of destination) are protected before departure.
In March 2006, a measles outbreak in Venezuela was reported for the first time in 4 years. Recent measles outbreaks have also been reported from several European countries: Denmark, Germany, Greece, Spain, Sweden, and Ukraine. Imported cases from the Ukraine outbreak have been reported in the United States (3), the Russian Federation (9), Belarus (2), and Spain (1). In addition, the measles outbreak that began in November 2005 in the Eastleigh neighborhood of Nairobi, Kenya is ongoing. Measles cases have also been reported outside of Eastleigh. Recent outbreaks of mumps have been reported among adolescents and young adults in the United States and United Kingdom.
Recommendations for travelers:
All travelers should be fully immunized and keep a copy of their immunization record with them as they travel.
Children:
12 months or older should receive two doses of MMR vaccine separated by at least 28 days, with the first dose administered on or after the first birthday. 6-11 months, if they must travel outside the US, should receive single-antigen measles vaccine before departure if it is available, or MMR if single-antigen measles vaccine is not available. (Note: MMR given before 12 months of age should not be counted as part of the series. Children who receive MMR before age 12 months will need two more doses of MMR, the first of which should be administered at 12 months of age.)
Adolescents and Adults:
People who have received 2 doses of live measles vaccine are generally considered immune to measles, while 1 or two 2 doses of mumps vaccine generally provides protection. Persons may be considered immune to measles and mumps if they have documented diagnosis by a physician, laboratory evidence of immunity, or were born before 1957. MMR may be administered to anyone (over the age of 6 months) if there is reason to believe they may be susceptible to infection.
Information about Measles and Mumps:
Measles is a serious disease: 6%-20% of the people who become sick with measles will also get an ear infection, diarrhea, or a serious lung infection, such as pneumonia. One of 1,000 people with measles develops inflammation of the brain. In the United States, of every 1,000 people with measles, 2 or 3 die from complications. Measles can cause especially severe disease in people who are malnourished or immunosuppressed (i.e., HIV infection, leukemia, lymphoma, or generalized malignancy or persons receiving certain drug or radiation therapies).
Mumps is an infection of the salivary glands caused by a virus. It occurs through airborne transmission (coughing and sneezing) or direct contact with nasopharyngeal secretions of an infected person, such as saliva. Early symptoms include fever, headache, and muscle ache; less than half of infected people may have the characteristic swelling of the glands close to the jaw. Mumps infection can lead to meningitis, and inflammation of the testicles or ovaries, inflammation of the pancreas and deafness (usually permanent).
The MMR vaccine also provides protection against rubella (German Measles). Rubella is caused by a virus that is spread through airborne transmission (coughing and sneezing). It can cause a rash, mild fever, and arthritis (mostly in women). If a woman gets rubella while she is pregnant, she could have a miscarriage or her baby could be born with serious birth defects, such as deafness, cataracts, or mental retardation.
Although the risk of acquiring measles and mumps infections is generally considered low in the United States, routine surveillance and vaccination remain necessary because of the continuing possibility of importations, low vaccination coverage in a few communities, and infrequently outbreaks. Since vaccines containing measles, rubella, and mumps-and later combined measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine-were licensed for use in the United States, the numbers of reported cases of measles, mumps, rubella, and birth defects caused by rubella infection (congenital rubella syndrome) have decreased by more than 99%.
For information about MMR vaccine, see
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00053391.htm
For information about measles, mumps, and rubella, see
http://www.cdc.gov/nip/
2006 Election Information
You can find a wealth of information about voting, including State and monthly election calendars, links to on-line registration and an Absentee Ballot request form, and State by State Instructions at
http://www.fvap.gov. This is the website of the Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP). The program's three goals are to 1) inform and educate U.S. citizens worldwide of their right to vote; 2) foster voting participation; and 3) protect the integrity of, and simultaneously enhance the electoral process at the Federal, State and local levels.
You can also learn more on our web page at http://hongkong.usconsulate.gov/acs_voteoverseas.html
Democrats Abroad Happy Hour and Voter Registration - June 13, 2006
The Democrats Abroad Hong Kong would like to announce the following event:
Register to Vote! -- June 13
On Tuesday, June 13 the Democrats Abroad monthly happy hour (held on the second Tuesday of every month) will serve as our local rollout of the votefromabroad.org website. From 6-9 p.m., we will gather at the Flying Pan Wan Chai, on the 3/F of 81-85 Lockhart Road (at the corner with Luard Road), where we will have computers set up to help people register to vote in November.
As we help voters register, we will sip heavily discounted drinks. Those who are in the mood will be able to order the Flying Pan's scrumptious breakfast items -- nothing like a solid evening breakfast to get you in the mood to vote!
Anyone is welcome to attend, though only U.S. citizens, of course, can register to vote.
Republicans Abroad Invitation to Dine With Newt Gingrich - May 29, 2006
The Republicans Abroad Hong Kong cordially invites you to dinner with Newt Gingrich on May 29, 2006 at 7:30 p.m. at the Conrad Hotel.
Mr. Gingrich was first elected to Congress in 1978, and was Speaker of the House from 1995-1998. In 1994 he was a principal architect of the Contract with America. He is the author or co-author of numerous books, and been mentioned as a candidate for President in 2008.
Mr. Gingrich will speak on U.S and Asia relations in the 21st Century.
Tickets are only HK$700 each, or $8,400 for a table of 12. Full table bookings include signage and seating near the head table. Reservation requests should be sent to GPO Box 6456, Central with your cheque payable to "Republicans Abroad Hong Kong". Please provide your name, contact telephone number and the number of seats or tables you wish to reserve. If you have queries please contact Charles Regan (9100 4017) or Mark Stimson on (9812 8287).
Renewing U.S. Drivers Licenses While Overseas
If you find that your U.S. state drivers license is about to expire and you would like to have it renewed, you should contact the DMV office in the state where your current license was issued. Some states will allow you to renew your license while overseas, others will not.
A good place to start your search for information on this process is http://www.dmv.org. From there you can link to your state's DMV office website which usually posts information on procedures for renewing your license. Although the U.S. Consulate has no role in the renewal process, we can notarize certain documents for your if required by your state for renewal. See our information on notarials at http://hongkong.usconsulate.gov/acs_notarial.html.
U.S. Visas for Domestic Helpers
The summer travel season is fast approaching and many of our subscribers and their families are planning visits to the United States. Under certain limited circumstances, a B-1 visa may be issued to a domestic helper accompanying or following to join the employer on a temporary visit to the United States.
In our experience, we have found that many domestic helpers in Hong Kong have difficulty qualifying for nonimmigrant visas. The decision to grant a visa is based on the domestic helper's situation in Hong Kong. The applicant must demonstrate that he/she has sufficiently strong family, social, or economic ties to their place of residence to ensure that their projected stay in the United States will be temporary.
Please visit our website for more information about how to apply for a non-immigrant visa on behalf of a domestic helper:
http://www.hongkong.usconsulate.gov/visa_services.html
Online Appointment System for All American Citizens Services
Online appointments are required for all services provided by the American Citizens Services Unit at the U.S. Consulate General Hong. Book your appointment at
http://www.hongkongacs.com.
If you need directions to our offices, try this online searchable map:
http://www.ypmap.com/en/viewer.asp?mapService=LocationMap
Search for us by street address at 26 Garden Road.
Need more passport pages?
If your full-validity U.S. passport has not expired yet, but has no blank pages left for say additional Chinese visas, we can add additional pages for you free of charge. Barring any unusual circumstances, we can usually add pages to your passport in about 45 minutes, while you wait. You need to make an appointment for this service. Learn more at http://hongkong.usconsulate.gov/acs_supplement.html.
Upcoming Holidays and Other Closures
The Consulate General will be closed on the following holidays:
| May 29, 2006 | | Memorial Day |
| May 31, 2006 | | Tuen Ng Festival |
| July 4, 2006 | | Independence Day |
Subscribing/Unsubscribing
Anyone who wishes to sign up to receive this monthly ACS email newsletter and the travel advice we provide can do so simply by going to our web page at
http://www.hongkongacs.com and submit their email address in the fill-in box towards the bottom of the page. You can also unsubscribe through the web page.
New subscribers will be sent the last few messages we have sent out in a digest form to help them catch up. Back issues are on the web at http://hongkong.usconsulate.gov/acs_newsletter.html.
This newsletter is published by the American Citizens Services Unit, U.S. Consulate General, Hong Kong, tel: 2841-2211, 2841-2323, 2841-2225; fax: 2845-4845; e-mail:
questions@hongkongacs.com; website:
http://www.hongkongacs.com; All services by online appointment only.
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