Police today (May 17) appealed to the public for information on a woman who went missing in Mong Kok.  

     Leung Wing-chi, aged 18, went missing after she was last seen in Sai Yeung Choi Street South on April 12 night. Her family made a report to Police on May 7.  

     She is about 1.62 metres tall, 63 kilograms in weight and of fat build. She has a round face with yellow complexion and long black hair.

     Anyone who knows the whereabouts of the missing woman or may have seen her is urged to contact the Regional Missing Person Unit of New Territories South on 3661 1176 or 5613 6963 or email to rmpu-nts-2@police.gov.hk, or contact any police station.

  

     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) said today (May 17) that no additional case of measles infection had been recorded as at 4pm today and announced that the outbreak of measles infection at Hong Kong International Airport earlier has concluded.
 
     A spokesman for the CHP said, "A total of 73 cases of measles infection were recorded so far this year, among them 29 cases were associated with the outbreak among airport workers. The incubation period of measles can last up to 21 days. Among the airport-associated cases, the date the patients last visited the airport during the communicable period was April 5. No new associated cases have been recorded in two incubation periods which ended today. We consider that the outbreak of measles infection at the airport has ended."
 
     Regarding measles control measures implemented at the airport, a total of 23 persons had received measles vaccination at the airport vaccination station as at 6pm today, bringing the cumulative number of vaccinations given to 8 501 since March 22. The airport vaccination station will cease operation from tomorrow (May 18).
 
     As for the blood test service, the DH earlier provided the measles serology test service to airport staff. A cumulative total of 777 blood samples have been collected. For the pilot service to provide measles serology testing for Filipino foreign domestic helpers working in Hong Kong, a total of 146 blood samples have been collected to date. Participants are notified individually of the serology results.
 
     The spokesman explained that measles is a generally mild but highly infectious disease caused by the measles virus. It can be transmitted by airborne droplets spread or direct contact with nasal or throat secretions of infected persons, and, less commonly, by articles soiled with nose and throat secretions. A patient can pass the disease to other persons from four days before to four days after the appearance of skin rash.
 
     The incubation period of measles ranges from seven days to up to 21 days. Persons who might have had contact with measles patients during the period of communicability may develop relevant symptoms, such as fever, skin rash, cough, runny nose and red eyes in the incubation period. They should observe if they develop such symptoms in the period. If symptoms arise, they should wear surgical masks, stop going to work or school and avoid going to crowded place. They should also avoid contact with non-immune persons, especially persons with weakened immunity, pregnant women and children aged below one. Most importantly, they should seek medical attention as early as possible and reveal relevant contact history of measles to healthcare professionals. If they need to visit any health care facilities during the period of medical surveillance, they should also report whether they have symptoms and their prior measles exposure history to the healthcare workers so that appropriate infection control measures can be implemented at the healthcare facilities concerned to prevent any potential spread.
 
     Separately, many countries in the world are experiencing a resurgence of measles with outbreaks reported, including countries in Europe and in southeast Asia. Travellers should pay attention to the risk of measles. For outbreak news of the affected areas, please refer to the website of DH's Travel Health Service. 
 
     "Vaccination is the most effective way to prevent measles. Members of the public who are planning to travel to places with high incidence or outbreaks of measles should review their vaccination history and past medical history, especially people born outside Hong Kong who might not have received measles vaccination during childhood. The history of measles vaccination in Hong Kong is available in the CHP's measles thematic page. Those who have not received two doses of measles-containing vaccines, with unknown vaccination history or unknown immunity against measles are urged to consult their doctor for advice on vaccination at least two weeks before departure," the spokesman said.
 
     "Pregnant women and women preparing for pregnancy who are not immune to measles as well as children aged under 1 year who are not due for the first dose of the Measles, Mumps and Rubella combined vaccine under the Hong Kong Childhood Immunisation Programme are advised not to travel to measles-endemic places or those with outbreaks of measles," the spokesman added.
 
     Besides being vaccinated against measles, members of the public should take the following measures to prevent infection:
 
* Maintain good personal and environmental hygiene;
* Maintain good indoor ventilation;
* Keep hands clean and wash hands properly;
* Wash hands when they are dirtied by respiratory secretions, such as after sneezing;
* Cover the nose and mouth while sneezing or coughing and dispose of nasal and mouth discharge properly;
* Clean used toys and furniture properly; and
* Persons with measles should be kept out of school till four days from the appearance of rash to prevent spread of the infection to non-immune persons in school.

     For more information on measles, please visit the CHP's measles thematic page.

     The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, today (May 17) said at a special meeting of the Pest Control Steering Committee of the Food and Health Bureau that in view of the three recent cases of human infection by rat Hepatitis E virus (HEV) in Hong Kong, the relevant government bureaux and departments should carry out anti-rodent work in areas under their purview to improve environmental hygiene and prevent rodent infestation.

     Various government departments will jointly conduct territory-wide cleaning work in areas under their respective purview, particularly in target areas including rear lanes, housing estates, food premises and public markets.

     Mr Cheung said, "The Government has all along been very concerned about rodent infestation in various districts. In collaboration with various districts, we will conduct a three-month cleaning campaign over the territory from May 20 to strengthen the prevention and control of rodent at hygiene black spots and focus areas.

     "A co-operation mechanism on pest control has been put in place among various departments. I would like to reiterate the importance of collaboration among departments and their concerted efforts in improving environmental hygiene. The Government will continue to allocate resources with a view to improving the relevant work."

     Apart from the anti-rodent operations in designated target areas conducted in nine public housing estates, the Housing Department will extend the operation to more public housing estates. The Home Affairs Department will enhance liaison with property management companies and different stakeholders, and carry out publicity at district level to raise public awareness of maintaining personal and environmental hygiene as well as proactively preventing rodent infestation in private places including households and housing estates. The Highways Department will also implement improvement work such as filling rat holes and improving road conditions at rear lanes where rodent problems are more serious.

     The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) will enhance targeted rodent prevention and control work at problematic spots and strengthen education and publicity, together with other relevant government departments. The eight-week anti-rodent operations in designated target areas has commenced on May 6. The FEHD has also enhanced cleaning services at streets and rear lanes in the target areas as well as cleansing work of markets and hawker bazaars, so as to keep the environment clean.

     Since improper handling of food waste by food premises can give rise to rodent problems, the FEHD will start a five-week special operation from May 20, to target irregularities of food premises such as food preparation, scullery, improper storage of articles and illegal dumping of refuse at rear lanes (including dumping of bagged refuse in the small hours), with a view to further enhancing the awareness of rodent prevention and control among the operators of food premises as well as stepping up enforcement actions.

     The Acting Secretary for Food and Health, Dr Chui Tak-yi, who is also the Chairman of the Steering Committee, noted that apart from collaboration among departments, the co-operation and support of the community is essential to eliminate rodent problems. Members of the public should maintain good personal and environmental hygiene and pay attention to food hygiene, in order to prevent rodent borne diseases.

     At the special meeting today, representatives from bureaux and departments were first briefed by the Department of Health on the latest information on human infection of HEV, followed by the discussion on public education and strategies of rodent prevention and control.

Prevention of HEV

     Although HEV is a curable disease, proper preventive measures should be adopted. To prevent HEV infection, members of the public should pay special attention to personal, food and environmental hygiene. For example, they should wash hands thoroughly before eating, store food properly or in the refrigerator, not leave food at room temperature for a long time, and use 1 in 99 diluted household bleach for general cleaning purpose. High-risk individuals, such as elderly with major underlying illness (especially those who have undergone organ transplantation), pregnant women, patients with chronic liver disease and patients with Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase Deficiency (also known as G6PD Deficiency), who are infected with HEV may develop serious illness, therefore they should exercise extra caution.

     To cause human infection, HEV is transmitted mainly through the faecal-oral route, for example, due to faecal contamination of drinking water. In addition, foodborne transmission can result from ingestion of undercooked meat or meat products produced from infected animals (HEV has been detected in pig livers). Other rare transmission routes identified include transfusion of infected blood products, organ transplant and vertical transmission from a pregnant woman to her foetus.

     Five Keys should be adopted for food safety when handling food, i.e. Choose (Choose safe raw materials); Clean (Keep hands and utensils clean); Separate (Separate raw and cooked food); Cook (Cook thoroughly); and Safe Temperature (Keep food at safe temperature) to prevent foodborne diseases.

     The public are advised to adopt the following preventive measures:
 
* Eliminate sources of food and nesting places for rodents in living environment. Store food in covered containers and handle pet food properly to avoid it becoming food for rodents;
* Store all refuse and food remnants in dustbins with well-fitted cover. Dustbins must be emptied at least once a day;
* Keep premises, especially refuse rooms and stairways clean. Avoid accumulation of articles;
* Inspect all flowerbeds and pavements for rodent infestation regularly; and
* Avoid high risk activities below to reduce rodent contact:
– Avoid rodent contact and places dirtied with rodent excreta;
– Avoid handling rodents with bare hands;
– Wash hands with liquid soap and water immediately after handling animals, and disinfect contaminated areas; and
– If wound appears, clean broken skin immediately and cover it properly with waterproof adhesive dressings.

     Representatives from three bureaux and 21 departments/organisations attended today's special meeting.

  

     Following is the speech by the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, at the opening ceremony of "A History of the World in 100 Objects from the British Museum" exhibition today (May 17): 

Mr Andrew Heyn (British Consul General to Hong Kong and Macao), Ms Nadja Race (Director of International Engagement of the British Museum), Dr Anthony Chow (Chairman of the Hong Kong Jockey Club), Mr Stanley Wong (Chairman of the Museum Advisory Committee), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, government colleagues,

     Good afternoon. It is my honour to be here at the opening ceremony of "A History of the World in 100 Objects from the British Museum" exhibition.

     The collaboration between Hong Kong and the British Museum can be dated back to almost three decades ago. More recently in the past two years, two phenomenally successful blockbuster exhibitions on ancient civilisations were jointly presented by the Trustees of the British Museum and the Leisure and Cultural Services Department. The response to the "Eternal Life: Exploring Ancient Egypt" exhibition was particularly overwhelming. Over 850 000 visitors were attracted to the mummies on display, breaking all attendance records for thematic exhibitions ever held at the Hong Kong Science Museum. Indeed, it was also one of the most popular thematic exhibitions held by any museum in Hong Kong. 

     Building on previous success, we collaborated with the British Museum again to stage "A History of the World in 100 Objects" exhibition to explore the history of humanity from 2 million years ago to the present. These 100 sets of man-made objects from all corners of the earth and from various cultures reveal the shared concerns and aspirations for life and death, rituals and beliefs, power and control, exploration and enlightenment, technology and development. These stunning objects don't just retell engrossing stories of the past. More importantly, they show how we humans have shaped the world and been shaped by it. I have no doubt that after travelling back in time and across the globe with these 100 objects, visitors will find the exhibition profoundly inspiring.

     The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government is committed to playing a pivotal role in fostering arts and cultural development in Hong Kong and promoting cultural exchanges with the rest of the world. To this end, we are pressing ahead with the development of the West Kowloon Cultural District, which underscores our strong commitment to strengthening Hong Kong's position as an international arts and culture metropolis. In addition to bringing treasures of the world's cultures to Hong Kong, we also strive to foster collaboration with prestigious museums around the world in enhancing professionalism in heritage conservation and museology. For example, in 2017 the hosting of the first international Museum Summit jointly with the Palace Museum in Beijing put Hong Kong on the world's museum map.  

     This year, we will hold the second Museum Summit in late November in partnership with the British Museum. Thanks to the strong network of our valued British partner, many speakers and moderators from world-renowned museums and institutions have kindly accepted our invitation. Over 30 eminent leaders in the field will speak at the Summit, themed on "Formation and Transformation", and share with the audience their expertise and insights on the changing landscape and transformation of museums across the world. The Summit will mark a new milestone in our partnership with the British Museum.

     The exhibition we open today will further demonstrate Hong Kong's strength as a vibrant city for arts and cultural exchange. I would like to express my deepest gratitude to the British Museum for bringing this invaluable collection to Hong Kong. My special thanks also go to Ms Nadja Race, Director of International Engagement, and her dedicated team who assisted us in every way to make this exhibition possible. I would also like to thank the British Consulate-General in Hong Kong for their continuous and ardent support. My gratitude and appreciation, of course, also go to the sole sponsor, the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, for their generous support. 

     On this exciting note, I wish the exhibition a resounding success and every visitor to this exhibition an enlightening and memorable tour. Thank you.

      

     Hop Lee Builders Company Limited and Kin Yip International Construction Limited were fined $79,500 and $4,500 respectively at Kwun Tong Magistrates’ Courts today (May 17) for violation of the Factories and Industrial Undertakings Ordinance and the Construction Sites (Safety) Regulations. The prosecutions were launched by the Labour Department.
      
     The case involved a fatal accident that occurred on April 29, 2018, on a building renovation site in Kwun Tong. While a worker was clearing debris on a bamboo scaffold at the external wall of the building between the ninth floor and the 10th floor, he fell from the scaffold to the inside of the building, falling through floor openings on the ninth floor and consecutive floors below, and eventually landing on the third floor. He sustained serious bodily injuries and passed away the same day.