> HK to scrap mask mandate Wednesday
香港特區3月1日起全面取消口罩令

Hong Kong will lift its mask mandate on Wednesday, the city’s chief executive said on Tuesday. "
香港特區行政長官李家超28日上午宣布，香港3月1日起全面取消口罩令。

(The) time is right for the mask mandate to be scrapped," John Lee Ka-chiu said to the media on Tuesday before the weekly Executive Council meeting.
“現在是時候取消口罩令了，” 李家超出席行政會議前會見媒體時說。

For high-risk venues such as hospitals and nursing homes, those in charge can require their staff and visitors to wear masks by issuing administrative instructions, he said.
他說，高風險地方例如醫院和養老院等，負責人可以用“行政指令”方式要求職員及訪客戴口罩。

The decision was made based on pandemic statistics, which show no sign of rebound, and the fact Hong Kong has already built an extensive community defense against COVID-19, Lee said.
李家超說，取消口罩令基于幾點考慮，包括數據顯示香港疫情受控、并無大的反彈的跡象；香港已建立廣泛及全面防疫屏障。

The winter influenza season has also almost come to an end and the risks are under control, he added.
他補充說，冬季流感已臨近尾聲，風險可控。

> Companies try four-day week, 92% keep it
那些試行四天工作制的企業，現在都怎樣了？

Findings from a pilot program were released by Autonomy after 61 British companies with around 2,900 workers were enrolled in a trial four-day work week, with employees working an average of 34 hours per week between June and December 2022 while keeping their existing salary.
2022年，英國智庫Autonomy發起了一項四天工作制試點計劃，共有61家英國公司，約2900名工人參與其中。在2022年6月至12月期間，員工們每周工作4天，每周平均工作34小時，同時保持現有的工資。

The pilot program has been hailed as a "resounding success" after employees reported improved well-being and a majority of participating companies said they would keep the change.
這項四天工作制試點計劃被視為“巨大的成功”，員工表示，幸福感提高了，大多數參與公司表示他們將維持四天工作制。

Employees at companies that adopted a four-day work week without pay cuts said they were happier and healthier, while revenues did not fall.
實行四天工作制而不減薪的公司員工表示，他們更快樂、更健康，而收入并沒有下降。

At the conclusion of the six-month trial, 56 of those companies, 92 percent, decided to stick with a four-day work week, and 18 did so permanently.
在六個月的試驗結束時，61家公司中的56家（92%）決定堅持每周四天工作制，其中18家決定永久實行這一政策。

The companies that participated were from a wide range of sectors and sizes and were permitted to design a policy tailored to their own needs, with the only conditions being that pay was not cut and employees were given a "meaningful" reduction in work time.
參與研究的公司行業不同，規模不一，并可以根據自身需求設計每周工作四天的政策，唯一的要求是不減薪，并“實際”縮減員工工作時間。

A shorter work week was found to improve employees' well-being.
研究發現，縮短工作時間可以提高員工幸福感。

Before and after data showed 39 percent of employees reported feeling less stressed, while 71 percent had reduced levels of burnout at the end of the trial.
試點計劃開展前后數據顯示，39%的員工表示壓力減輕，而71%的員工在試驗結束時的倦怠程度有所降低。

Surveyed employees said they also felt less anxious, less fatigued and were sleeping better.
接受調查的員工表示，他們還感到不那么焦慮、疲勞，睡眠有所改善。

Employees also said their work-life balance improved, but the benefits were not limited to workers.
員工們還稱，他們的工作與生活更加平衡，但四天工作制不僅僅給員工帶來了好處。

Data also showed employees were much less likely to leave companies that participated in the trial program, with staff losses dropping by 57 percent in the trial period.
數據還顯示，員工從參與試驗的公司離職的可能性要小得多，在六個月的試驗期內，員工流失率下降了57%。

Charlotte Lockhart, co-founder and managing director of 4 Day Week Global, said the results were encouraging and findings from similar programs around the globe would be forthcoming.
非營利組織“全球四天工作制”聯合創始人兼總經理夏洛特?洛克哈特表示，試驗結果令人鼓舞，全球各地類似試點項目的結果也即將出爐。

> Heart disease thought to be cause of giant panda Le Le’s death
旅美大熊貓“樂樂”死因初步確定！中方已準備接返“丫丫”

According to a media release from the Chinese Association of Zoological Gardens on Feb 26, the giant panda Le Le, who died last month at Memphis Zoo in the United States, may have succumbed to heart disease, a joint autopsy by Chinese and US experts has showed.
據中國動物園協會2月26日消息，中方赴美大熊貓專家組抵達孟菲斯動物園后與美方專家，共同完成了對大熊貓“樂樂”的尸體解剖檢查，初步判定心臟病變是其死亡原因。

Experts of the two countries ruled out common diseases that may have caused Le Le's death, such as intestinal twist, aortoclasia and ruptured pyogenic liver abscess.
兩國專家的解剖排除了導致動物意外死亡的如腸扭轉、主動脈破裂、肝膿腫破裂或大出血等常見病因。

Based on the cardiac lesions they observed, the experts have preliminarily judged this was what caused the death of the panda. But further pathological diagnosis is still needed to confirm the cause.
根據他們觀察到的心臟病變，初步判定這是致其死亡的原因，但需要進一步的病理檢測結果確認。

Le Le, born in 1998, came to the zoo with a female giant panda, Ya Ya, in 2003. In December, the zoo said that the iconic duo would "make the journey back to China within the next few months" as the current giant panda loan agreement with the Chinese Association of Zoological Gardens was coming to an end.
“樂樂”出生于1998年。早在2003年，“樂樂”同雌性大熊貓“丫丫”一起抵達孟菲斯動物園開始旅美生涯，為促進中美兩國大熊貓保護合作和人民友好交流發揮了重要的橋梁作用。去年12月，動物園宣布由于目前同中國動物園協會達成的租借協議即將到期，“樂樂”和“丫丫”計劃在未來數月內返回中國。

Le Le died before that transfer took place, passing away in his sleep on Feb 3.
就在即將回國之際，孟菲斯動物園一位不愿透露姓名的發言人在2月初的一份報告表示，“樂樂”于2月3日在睡夢中安詳離世。

At the same time, the expert team inspected Ya Ya, informing the zoo about the abnormal condition of Ya Ya's hair and making suggestions for the care of the giant panda.
此次專家組前往美國，現場察看了“丫丫”的健康狀況，并與孟菲斯動物園就丫丫毛發異常情況進行了討論，并就大熊貓的繁育和護理向當地代表提出了建議。

China and the US are presently in the process of facilitating Ya Ya’s return to China.
中美雙方正在積極協調和辦理相關手續，爭取早日將丫丫帶回中國。

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