Author Archives: hksar gov

     Owing to the maintenance works on the flag poles and the podium at the Golden Bauhinia Square, Wan Chai, the flag-raising ceremony scheduled at 8am today (June 15) will be suspended. read more

     Three charities have been issued Public Subscription Permits to hold flag sales from 7am to 12.30pm today (June 15). They are, on Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong Blind Union; in Kowloon, Open Door Ministries Limited; and in the New Territories, Grateful Heart Charitable Foundation Limited, a spokesman for the Social Welfare Department (SWD) said.

     Arrangements have been made with the charities to help people distinguish between the three flag-selling activities.

     Information on the three flag-selling organisations on June 15 is as follows:
 

Region	Name of Organisation	Colour of Collection Bag	Colour of Flag
Hong Kong Island	Hong Kong Blind Union	Yellow	Green
Kowloon	Open Door Ministries Limited	Orange	White
New Territories	Grateful Heart Charitable Foundation Limited	Pink	Pink

     For enquiries, please call the SWD’s hotline at 2343 2255, or the designated hotline of the 1823 Call Centre at 3142 2678. Information on flag days is available at the SWD’s website (www.swd.gov.hk/en/index/site_whatsnew) and the GovHK portal (www.gov.hk/en/theme/fundraising/search). Permits for flag days containing contact information of the flag-selling organisations and information on the approved flag-selling activities have also been uploaded to the SWD’s website (www.swd.gov.hk/en/index/site_pubsvc/page_controlofc/sub_recentlyap). For enquiries about the detailed flag-selling arrangements, please contact the individual flag-selling organisations.

     Details of the charitable fund-raising activities covered by the Public Subscription Permit issued by the SWD have also been uploaded to the GovHK website (www.gov.hk/fundraising).

     In the case of suspected fraudulent flag day activities, people should not make any donation and should immediately report the matter to the Police, the spokesman added. read more

The following is issued on behalf of the Legislative Council Secretariat:      Details of the meetings of the Legislative Council (LegCo) and its Committees to be held in the LegCo Complex during the week from June 17 to Jun… read more

     The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today (June 14) said that two kinds of prepackaged rice seasonings manufactured in Korea might contain allergens, egg and milk, but they were not declared on the products’ food labels. Consumers who are allergic to egg or milk are advised not to eat the affected products. The trade should also stop using or selling the products concerned immediately should they possess them.
      
     Product details are as follows:
      
Product name: Chung Jung One Rice Sprinkles (vegetable)
Place of origin: Korea
Manufacturer: Daesang Corporation (Kiheung Plant)
Importer: Kofco Enterprise (Asia) Co Ltd
Net weight: 24 grams per pack
Best-before-dates: December 6, 2018, April 26, 2019 and July 26, 2019
      
Product name: Chung Jung One Rice Sprinkles (seafood)
Place of origin: Korea
Manufacturer: Daesang Corporation (Kiheung Plant)
Importer: Kofco Enterprise (Asia) Co Ltd
Net weight: 24 grams per pack
Best-before-dates: December 27, 2018 and April 26, 2019
      
     “The CFS, through its Food Incident Surveillance System, noted a notice issued by the Food Standards Australia New Zealand that the above-mentioned products are under recall because they may contain egg and milk but the ingredients are undeclared on the food labels,” a spokesman for the CFS said.
      
     Upon learning of the incident, the CFS immediately followed up with major local importers and retailers, including the above-mentioned importer. Preliminary investigation found that the importer concerned had imported the above batches of affected products and all of them were distributed for sale. The importer concerned has initiated a recall according to CFS’ instruction. Members of the public may call its hotline at 2307 6618 during office hours for enquiries about the recall.
      
     The spokesman advised consumers who are allergic to egg or milk to stop consuming the products concerned. They should seek medical treatment if they feel unwell after consuming them.
      
     “People who are allergic to egg or milk may have immunologic response like vomiting, diarrhoea and rash upon consumption of food containing the allergens. In severe cases, anaphylactic shock may even develop. As for other members of the public, generally speaking, they would not be subject to such reactions when the food in question is consumed,” he said.
      
     The Food and Drugs (Composition and Labelling) Regulations (Cap 132W) require that all prepackaged food for sale in Hong Kong should list out the food ingredients in its list of ingredients. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $50,000 and six months’ imprisonment.
      
     The CFS will alert the trade, continue to follow up on the incident and take appropriate action. Investigation is ongoing. read more

     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health today (June 14) reported the latest number of cases of dengue fever (DF), and again urged the public to maintain strict environmental hygiene, mosquito control and personal protective measures both locally and during travel.

     From June 6 to 13, the CHP confirmed four imported DF cases. The patients had been to Cambodia (one case), Fiji (one case), Indonesia (one case) and Thailand (one case) during the incubation period.

     As of yesterday (June 13), 58 cases had been confirmed this year, all of which were imported. The cases were mainly imported from Thailand (12), Indonesia (11) and Malaysia (11). 

     The CHP has been closely monitoring the latest DF situation in neighbouring and overseas areas. DF remains endemic in some areas of Asia. According to the World Health Organization, several Asian countries are experiencing unusually high numbers of DF cases for this time of year. The latest figures revealed that 77 040 cases had been recorded in the Philippines (which was almost double the number of cases reported in the same period in 2018), 52 941 in Malaysia (which was around twice the number of cases reported in the same period in 2018) and 59 959 in Vietnam (which was more than triple the number of cases reported in the same period in 2018). Meanwhile, the latest figures for 2019 reveal that 28 785 cases had been recorded in Thailand, 5 037 in Singapore (since December 30, 2018) and 132 in Japan. In Taiwan, 20 local cases have been recorded in 2019. 
 
     According to the announcement of the Health Commission of Guangdong Province, the epidemic season of DF started early this year in Guangdong. As of June 12, 240 cases have been recorded in Guangdong this year, which was significantly higher than that in the same period last year (44 cases). Among the cases, nine were local cases including four in Foshan, two in Guangzhou, and one each in Zhuhai, Zhongshan and Jiangmen.
 
     Members of the public are reminded to adopt personal protective measures against mosquitoes to prevent mosquito-borne diseases such as DF when visiting Guangdong and other affected countries/areas.

     The public should take heed of the following advice on mosquito control:
 

• Thoroughly check all gully traps, roof gutters, surface channels and drains to prevent blockage;
• Scrub and clean drains and surface channels with an alkaline detergent compound at least once a week to remove any deposited mosquito eggs;
• Properly dispose of refuse, such as soft drink cans, empty bottles and boxes, in covered litter containers;
• Completely change the water of flowers and plants at least once a week. The use of saucers should be avoided if possible;
• Level irregular ground surfaces before the rainy season;
• Avoid staying in shrubby areas; and
• Take personal protective measures such as wearing loose, light-coloured, long-sleeved tops and trousers and apply insect repellent containing DEET to clothing or exposed parts of the body when doing outdoor activities.

    
     To reduce the risk of infections spread by mosquitoes, apart from general measures, travellers returning from areas affected by DF and Zika virus infection should apply insect repellent for 14 days or at least 21 days respectively upon arrival in Hong Kong. If feeling unwell, seek medical advice promptly and provide travel details to the doctor. DEET-containing insect repellents are effective and the public should take heed of the tips below:
 

• Read the label instructions carefully first;
• Apply right before entering an area with risk of mosquito bites;
• Apply on exposed skin and clothing;
• Use DEET of up to 30 per cent for pregnant women and up to 10 per cent for children*;
• Apply sunscreen first, then insect repellent; and
• Re-apply only when needed and follow the instructions.

 
* For children who travel to countries or areas where mosquito-borne diseases are endemic or epidemic and where exposure is likely, those aged 2 months or above can use DEET-containing insect repellents with a DEET concentration of up to 30 per cent.

     The public may refer to the CHP’s tips for using insect repellents for details. read more